Love Thy Neighbour
by BookMe
Summary: Alice and Rosalie work at Vogue and need an interesting topic for their next month's article. Edward moves into town, and Bella has two weeks off work. What will happen when a pair of sneeky Cupids come out to play? All Human.
1. The Perfect 10?

_**Stephenie Meyer - A God? Apparently not…but she created the Twilight Universe.**_

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**I've had a 5day break from posting, but not from writing..."Hello,my names BookMe and i'm addicted to writing...and FanFiction". Hope you all like this as much as you seemed to like All Aboard…there's only one way to find out I suppose. Remember to Review!!**

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The song that kept randomly popping into my mind during this chapter- 'Fully Alive' by Flyleaf.

**Rosalie POV**

"Keys, keys, keys, where the bloody hell are they?" I screeched in impatience as I ran around in my killer heels through the modern black and silver kitchen to my red and black bedroom next to it, my eyes scanning frantically. I breathed a sigh of relief and punched my arm in the air as I found my keys, right where I left them last night, on my bedside table.

"Car, car, car, don't fall and break your neck…" I chanted to myself as I pegged it down the hallway to the front door, grabbing my long, fitted and very expensive coat and briefcase on my way before I slammed the door behind me.

I glanced at my watch quickly as I shrugged on my coat, my keys in my mouth as I button up, causing me to cringe at their rusty taste. "Blehhh" I tried to spit the taste out of my mouth a little as I pulled the keys from my mouth and frantically locked the door, with my briefcase between my legs.

"Ten minutes to get to work…" I mumbled under my breath as I stuffed my keys back in my coat pocket and turned for my car. "Twenty minute journey in ten…you can do it…" I encouraged myself as I jumped the three steps from our porch to the ground, landing in one piece even with killer heels on due to my years of practice.

"Morning!" a silky smooth and quite frankly sexy voice came from beside me as I reached my car. I froze at the sound, wondering who the hell was next door at the old abandoned house.

I span on my heel, my car keys in my hand as I was ready to open the car. My eyes settleed on a 6'2, bronze haired, green eyed, well built specimen of a man. He had nothing on Emmett, but even I had to suppress the wolf whistle that I was itching to voice. "Hey there…you moving in?" I asked as I inclined my head at the apparent evidence in the cardboard box in his hands labelled 'Books' that he'd obviously pulled out of the back of the removal van in the drive.

"Yeah…just bought it last week…" he answered me giving me a warm smile before he turned to look up at the two story house which looked slightly dwarfed beside mine and Jasper's three story house. "I'm Edward Cullen…" he introduced himself shrugging his shoulders because his hands were full with the book box.

"I'm Rosalie Hale." I answered with a small wave before I remembered that I was running late already. "I hate to be rude, but I have to get off to work now…" I began as I stepped backwards to my car. "Hey maybe my friends and I could pop over tonight? Meet you properly…?" I suggested as I opened the car door and flung my briefcase to the passenger seat.

"Sure, that'd be great, come over whenever…" my neighbour told me with another warm smile before he turned and walked to his front door.

I jumped into my car and slammed the door after me before I revved up the engine of my BMW and drove as fast as I could to work. I parked at my usual parking space, noting that Alice had evidently made it to work before me from her yellow Porsche 911 Turbo sitting beside my car.

After locking my car, I legged it to the main door of the towering 'Vogue' building, and raced to the elevator beside the main minimalist reception desk. "The meeting started five minutes ago!" Sonia the receptionist called after me in a smug voice as she realised that I was late, having miraculously torn her eyes away from filing her nails.

"Gee thanks captain obvious…" I growled as the elevator ascended and I hurriedly patted my hair and clothes down to look respectable. "Why the hell do we have to be on the top floor?" I whispered in frustration as the elevator took its sweet time to reach its final destination.

Once the doors slid open I took a deep breath and composed myself as I lightly knocked the door to the conference room beyond and then made my way in once I was summoned.

"Ahhh tweedle dumb…nice of you to join us, why don't you let tweedle dee over there fill you in on what you've missed?" I gave my 50 something boss who wore way too much makeup for my liking, a sweet smile before I passed her and took my seat beside tweedle dee, Alice.

"That old codger…" Alice sneered at our boss, Melanie as she prattled on about next month's issue of Vogue and how they wanted to make it more 'autumny' now that September was coming to its end and the autumn was beginning to dig in its heels and push away the summer.

"You have three weeks to get next months articles done and dusted, I don't want any excuses." She snapped, directing her gaze at some girl who hadn't gotten her article in on time a few months back because she'd fallen down a flight of stairs and broken her leg. Apparently, that wasn't reason enough to shirk your responsibilities to Vogue.

"Right, one of you from each pair up here…now…" Melanie growled as she grabbed the familiar black velvet bag from the desk in front of her. I sighed in relief as Alice got up gracefully and stepped in line with the rest.

The black bag was used in each month's meeting to decide who would write which articles depending on which slip of paper you pulled out. In there were, fashion, home, celebrity, health, diet, money, family, friends, love, beauty along with much more. Alice always wanted fashion which was unsurprising from her immense and undeniable love of it. I on the other hand loved this system of choosing which article we would get. It gave us a variety of things to work on, and we learnt a lot of different things that kept us interested in our work.

A few minutes later Alice plopped back down next to me with a crestfallen look upon her face as she sighed, "We got love…"

I gave her a small pat on her back as the old crone up front droned on. "Right, now you've got your topics, go and write an article for them pronto!" she snapped as she hauled back the door, ushering us all out like a flock of sheep.

Once the big bad wolf had shut the door behind us, Alice and I crammed into the elevator and made our way down to level 7 where our office was. "Keith, baby, you know the drill…" Alice called at our receptionist as we made our way past him.

"Two steaming mugs of coffee on the way…" he answered with a cheery salute before he swivelled in his computer chair and went to make our coffees.

I arched my back, letting it click as I stepped into our office, leaving the door open for Keith. I quickly kicked of my black stiletto heels and let myself sink into the huge armchair behind my desk. I perched my feet up on the desk as I turned the computer on and drew a pen and paper nearer to me.

Alice meanwhile dove onto the large black leather sofa beside her desk and groaned before she said in a muffled tone, "What are we going to do about love?"

"I don't know…quizzes, statistics, points of view, our experiences with Emmett and Jasper…" I quickly shook my head at that last thought. Who would want to know that I'd met Emmett, the love of my life at high school five years ago and fell madly and deeply in love with him within the first week? I then thought of Alice and Jasper. Who'd want to read about how she and Jasper fell in love practically within the very moment they laid eyes on each other during the same time. No. People wouldn't want to read about something as positive as that. They'd want something more interesting, dramatic.

"What time is it?" Keith's exuberant voice pulled me from my thoughts as he carried in a tray which had two steaming mugs of coffee and a variety of biscuits and cookies.

"Coffee o'clock!" Alice and I giggled our answer. I thanked Keith as he set the tray down on the desk, right in front of me and then passed Alice her coffee. She thanked him and then invited him to stay and sit with us for a while.

Keith was a cool dude, which sounded kind of lame and childish, but it was true. Emmett and I met him a few weeks ago when he took me out for dinner. Keith was our waiter and Emmett liked him instantly once he realised that the dude wasn't trying to hit on me. The three of us talked a bit when he had some free time from serving, before he was called away to report to his manager. Some half an hour later, as Emmett and I walked to our car, having finished our meal, we found Keith leaning against a wall, looking defeated. I asked him if he was alright and he told us that he'd been sacked because his boss found out that he'd got another piercing which was against the dress code.

Taking pity on him, and because I liked him, I offered him a job as Alice and my receptionist seeing as our last one, Jessica, walked out because she hated us. Thankfully he agreed to come and try it out, and had been our best buddy and receptionist ever since.

"So Keith…what's up with you?" I asked the black haired rocker, as I took a tentative sip of my coffee and grabbed a biscuit from the plate in front of me.

"Biscuit." He stated simply, looking straight at me. I chucked one at him, knowing the routine and then he continued. "I've met this really nice girl, she's called Teegan and she's into piercings and tattoos too…" he finished, letting his sentence trail off with a huge grin on his face.

"Ohhh my god! You got a new one!" Alice called excitedly as she sat up on the sofa, setting her coffee on the floor beside her and crawling over to a chuckling Keith. "Cool…" she laughed as she stuck her face in front of his and judged the small titanium bar that was sitting snugly at the bridge on his nose, in the flesh right between his eyes.

"No, you're cool for letting me get these…" he beamed back at us, poking out his pierced tongue as Alice remained gawping, still studying his new addition. I couldn't help but feel happy as I watched him smiling with amusement as Alice ran her fingers over the back of his neck, over the piercing that sat on his nape. I was slightly shocked by Alice's seeming obsession with doing that, but thankfully, Keith didn't seem to mind.

"Maybe I'll get one of those…" Alice pondered to herself as she sat back, running a hand over the nape of her own neck.

"No way sweetie, Jasper would never let you do that. He'd hate the thought of you being in any pain." I told her before I chucked another biscuit to Keith.

"True…my Jasper loves me the way I am…" she smiled with a dreamy look on her face that always washed over her whenever someone mentioned his name or she thought of him.

"Right…well…I think that's my cue to leave…" Keith announced, getting up. He grabbed a few more biscuits before he left, shutting the door behind him.

"Hey, tweedle dee! Snap out of it!" I hollered, getting Alice's attention.

"God I hate those nicknames. Tweedle dumb and tweedle dee…she's such an arse!" Alice hissed as she sat up, tucking her feet beneath her.

The phone on my desk rang once before I picked it up, "Bella's on the line…" Keith's voice informed me.

"Put her through please…" I told him as I set the phone on loudspeaker ready.

I heard the clicking noise of Keith setting down his phone piece mere seconds before Bella's voice rang into the room. "Hey business bitches…" she called cheerfully, referring to our work clothes. Whenever we were in our work clothes, we were business bitches according to her. I looked down at my outfit quickly and realised that today, like any other day, I ticked every box required to define me as Bella's business bitch. I wore killer heels, cropped trousers which showed some of my great legs and perfect butt, and a blood red blouse which showed off my cleavage.

"What's tickin chicken?" Alice asked Bella as she tipped her coffee mug upside down, trying to will the last drops off coffee out of the mug.

"You won't guess what my boss told me today!" her aggravation turned her voice into a growl of sorts as she spoke. We asked her, highly intrigued, and then she told us. "He told me that I have two whole weeks off of work because he made a major fuck up with my work hours!" she huffed before she continued, "There's only so much time that cleaning the house will take me, what the hell am I going to do?!" she asked before we heard a 'thump' noise.

"Did you just hit your head against a hard surface…wall, table..." I asked and offered, knowing that it would be a Bella thing to do.

"I actually hit my head against a window, but good guess…" she answered with praise in her voice.

"I'd love two weeks off to spend with Jasper…that would be so amazing…" Alice trailed off as that same dreamy look came over her again.

"I'd gladly trade my two weeks off with you if you find me the love of my life…" Bella grumbled back, adding a heavy sigh after

"Ohhh hey look, we have to go, pop over tonight once you finish work!" I told her quickly as I sat up, and made my quick goodbyes with Bella before I turned to a completely bewildered Alice with a devious smile on my face.

"What the devil in a midnight mass was that about?" Alice asked me, throwing in her own random new saying that she'd probably picked up from some song or film.

"I've got it…our love article…'Can you fall in love in 10 days?'" I grinned excitedly at her while she looked back at me as if I'd lost the plot. I smacked my head as I remembered that I hadn't mentioned our new neighbour yet. I talked her through my morning and how I met the gorgeous guy and mentioned that we were going over to meet him later tonight after work.

"Give me basics…" Alice began after I finished my story.

"Hit me" I murmured as I clicked my fingers.

"Height…" she began mechanically.

"10" I said simply. This was our rating system where we rated the guys out of 10, which was the best.

"Eyes…" she threw at me quickly.

Green and penetrating, "10"

"Hair…"

The messy auburn hair, a definite, "10"

"Smile…"

I remembered back to those cute smiles from this morning, "10"

"Body build…"

The outline of muscles along his arms and back and that were most likely hiding behind the box he was carrying, "10"

"Okay I think I've heard enough. Should I let Emmett know that he has competition? I thought he was your perfect 10?" Alice asked me with a smug arched brow and a smile playing at her lips.

"Okay, scrap that and change them all to 9." I told her, realising that her words were true. This Edward was a hottie, but he had nothing on my big bear.

"So now that we have this hottie, what exactly did you want to do?" Alice asked me, surprising me that she hadn't picked up on my plan yet.

"Bella…is looking for love, Edward Cullen is our new neighbour, who I hope to god is single, so…" I prompted her talking nice and slow so she wouldn't miss anything.

"Hmmm make them fall in love in 10 days…" Alice murmured as she tapped a finger to her chin with her eyes closed. "Ohhh, it's going to be great!" she announced enthusiastically after a few seconds of thought.

"Glad you liked it" I grinned at her as I began to write down some notes, making sure that I didn't forget this little idea.

"I'll come over to yours tonight, get the ball rolling…" Alice stated as she got up and sat behind her desk, ready to do some work, or shopping.

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**I know its short, but the next chapter will be longer. Let me know what you think so far!**

**With the neck piercing that Keith had…Me and my Twinnie have that done! Love it, it's my little baby!! And we have our tongues pierced too!! Identical twins with identical piercings!! 8D . And I want the piercing that 'Keith' had on his bridge…(sighs dreamily)…right, on with the story!**


	2. Feeding Time At The Zoo

_**Stephenie Meyer - A God? Apparently not…but she created the Twilight Universe.**_

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The chapters song is…'I Can Tell There Was An Accident Here And No Angel' by Saosin.

**Rosalie POV.**

Alice and I left work a little early so we could stop off at our local store to pick up some cookies to take over to our new neighbour, Edward Cullen. We also picked a bottle of white wine and a red, deciding that it may be handy to wash the cookies down with.

We reached the house not long after, and found that Emmett and Jasper weren't home from work yet seeing as their cars weren't in the drive. I got out of my beloved BMW, briefcase in hand and walked after Alice to the door which she was opening.

Once inside, I dumped my briefcase in my bedroom which was on the left of the hallway while the kitchen and the dining room was on the right. On the first floor was the spare bedroom which was otherwise known as Bella's room and the living room and then on the floor above was Jasper's room.

Jasper and I had lived in this house 'alone' since we were 18 and our parents moved away, leaving their twins to get on with life and get settled into their careers, even though they paid for our three story house and bought my car for me. Not that I was complaining.

Alice and Emmett on the other hand lived with Bella in Charlie's old house, but were basically over with Jasper and myself most of the time seeing as we were in relationships and Bella had her own room here anyway with half of her clothes.

I rolled my eyes at Alice as she placed the cookies that we'd just bought onto a plate, making them look home-made. Jasper and Emmett decided to come home from work at that point. I almost laughed aloud as Jasper came up behind Alice and nuzzled her neck as he asked, "Did you make them…? referring to the cookies.

"No…but someone did…" she replied, shrugging her shoulders as she covered the plate with a cloth.

"So why the pretence?" my sexy Emmett asked from beside me as he leant against the doorframe, moving side to side as he attempted to scratch his back. I tugged at his arm and pulled him from the doorframe before I scratched his back for him.

"We've got a new neighbour that we have to go and visit…" I informed the guys as Emmett whispered orders to me with regards to where to move my hands to scratch his back.

"Down…down…down…" he whispered continuously. I shook my head, grinning as I heard the smile in his voice. I knew where this was going so I cut the crap and slapped my hands to his butt, massaging his cheeks with my hands as we both burst out laughing.

"Come on…we can do that tonight…" I told him as I dropped my hands to lead him out of the front door. He gave me a sexy growl before he took my hand and followed me.

"Shut up! I don't want to hear any more!" Jasper called from behind us in a serious voice as we stepped out of the house.

"Hey, I love your sister, so quit your complaining!" Emmett sneered at Jasper as he gave my hand a squeeze and then bent down to kiss the tip of my nose.

I turned to look at Jasper, who was thankfully holding the two bottles of wine in his hands that I'd forgotten. He rolled his eyes at me and gave me a smile, letting me know that he knew full well that Emmett and I loved each other just as much as he and Alice did.

Emmett gave Edward's door a firm knock and then seconds later I could distinctly hear the sound of feet approaching on the other side. As we waited for Edward to open the door, I took a look around and then froze. I dropped to my knees; right there at his front door while Alice, Emmett and Jasper called my name, asking me what was wrong.

I muttered only one simple word. "Vanquish." I faintly heard their sighs of relief as Alice explained to Edward that I'd be alright in a few minutes. I remained on the floor for a few seconds before I regained my composure and got up to inspect the exterior of the car.

A few minutes later I heard Edward calling me from the door. "Hey Rosalie!" I looked up at him just in time to see something sparkly being thrown at me. "Just make sure you bring it back!" he called with a grin on his face as Emmett ran past him, to me. I looked down at my hands and a huge smile spread across my face as I saw that I held a set of car keys in my hands.

**Alice POV.**

"Rose?" I asked, a little concerned for my friends health.

"Vanquish." I heard her croak out. I followed her line of vision to see one hell of a sexy car sat in Edwards drive. I realised that Rosalie hadn't seen the car before because the removal van had been hiding it from view.

"Is she alright?" Edward asked apprehensively from the door, watching Rosalie suspiciously.

"She'll be fine, she just loves cars…" I explained, waving my hand in an off hand manner, dismissing Rosalie's weird behaviour. I watched her get up to her feet and walk slowly towards the car while Jasper and Emmett introduced themselves to Edward. I span around, remembering that I hadn't introduced myself yet. "I'm Alice Brandon" I told him with a cheery smile as I shook his hand.

After the basic pleasantries we left Rosalie to it and went inside. I gave Edward the plate of cookies and Jasper took the bottles of wine to the kitchen, following Edward so they could find something to pour them into.

Emmett and I sat in the big, what I guessed would be living room while we waited. Jasper and Edward returned a little while later with a few black mugs which were filled with wine.

"Is Rosalie still out there?" I heard Edward ask as I got up, to sit in Jaspers lap.

"Yeah…I think she's giving it a good look over…" Emmett commented as he peeked out of the window.

I heard the familiar sound of keys shuffling from Edward before he got up and pulled a set from his pocket. The three of us watched as he opened the door and called at Rosalie before chucking her the car keys. Emmett soon flew out of the house to join Rosalie in their spin in the Vanquish.

I half listened at Jasper and Edwards's conversation as Edward explained how he'd moved to Forks to be more independent now that he was 21 and his parents were really getting into fostering children. As they talked, I looked around, noting the masses of boxes, but seeing the potential for a beautiful home once it had been updated.

"Dude…that was so…Raaaarrr!!" Rosalie gushed, barging through the front door, impersonating a tiger at the end of her sentence.

"That means she loved it…" Emmett informed us as he pushed past Rosalie and sat down beside me and Jasper.

The guys soon left the room, heading out to inspect the backyard, leaving me and Rosalie alone. "He's so perfect! And the car…" Rosalie grinned like a moron at the mention of the 'Vanish'?

I ignored her foreign lingo of cars and asked, "How are we going to get Bella over here, should I call her?" I pulled out my cell mechanically from my pocket as I spoke.

"I'm already a step ahead." Rosalie stated as she held up a hand to me, signalling that I should leave my cell alone. "I sent her a text while Emmett was driving us back in the Vanquish." She stated before she leant forward in her seat to get another glimpse at the sleek black car.

At the same time that the guys were making their way back into the house, the front doorbell rang. "That might be Bella; I told her that we'd be here…" Rosalie stated as Edward advanced towards the door.

**Edward POV**

I heard Rosalie inform me that they'd told someone called Bella to come over. I wondered who she was. No one had mentioned her to me yet. I opened to door to see the back of a slender, yet curvy woman who immediately span around seconds after I'd opened the door. "Hi, I'm Bella Swan…" she introduced herself, holding out her hand with a warm smile on her beautiful face.

I introduced myself before I stepped back and beckoned her in. As she made a bee-line to her friends, I closed the door and marvelled at how I must have got the best neighbours imaginable. They all seemed to be around my age and all three of the girls were easy on the eyes, yet down to earth from what I'd picked up from Rosalie and Alice, but Bella seemed pleasant enough so far.

After popping to the kitchen to get Bella a glass of wine, I got back to the living room and handed her the mug. She thanked me before she rubbed her forehead with her other hand as she complained, "I've got two whole weeks off work…I'm going to be so bored…"

"Why don't you help Edward here?" Emmett suggested as he patted my back forcefully.

I thought he was being absurd, why would Bella want to waste her two weeks off being in my company when she could be with her boyfriend, if she had one...or be lounging about in her home. "You don't have to…" I told her, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Don't be stupid! I'd love to…if you need the help that is…?" she asked as she looked around the living room, taking in the masses of cardboard boxes, seeing that I did.

"It would be handy to have someone extra to help…I need to get my music store up and running as well…" I informed her as sat forward, rubbing the back of my neck apprehensively.

"No way! You're opening a music store!?" I was slightly taken aback by her enthusiasm, but I soon recovered and told her that I was.

"I'm going to have a small section of books in one corner as well…" I added, waiting to see if she had the same enthusiasm for literature that she had for music.

"Wow…I'll be squatting there once it's up and running then!" she laughed before she and I delved into a conversation about my store for a good while.

Once we finished talking, and the room grew slightly silent, Jasper spoke up, glancing at his watch, "Well we should get going, leave you too it," my mood dampened a little, hearing that I would be left alone after just having met this intriguing group of people. Thankfully, Jasper continued talking, "unless you want dinner at ours?"

I jumped at the invitation and answered immediately, "I'd love to!" Emmett, Jasper and I cleared away the mugs and grabbed the half empty bottles of wine to take back with us as the girls left ahead of us.

Once we were all sorted, Emmett and Jasper lead the way after I locked my door. We entered the house through the front door and I was instantly led up the flight of stairs in front of me to what looked like a living room and games room. I noticed that there was a door on the left that must lead to some other bedroom or a bathroom.

The three of us sat in front of a widescreen TV and watched some sports while the girls worked away down stairs. A little while after we got settled in front of the TV, Alice jogged up the stairs and asked me how I liked my steaks cooked. I told her that I liked mine rare before she danced back down the stairs.

"Emmett!…Jasper!…Edward!" Rosalie's voice called forcefully from the bottom of the stairs, causing a sudden reaction from the guys. Emmett practically sprinted down the stairs while Jasper switched off the TV, explaining to me that that call meant that dinner was ready.

Jasper led me down the stairs and to the left where the kitchen was. I quickly caught a glimpse of Bella plating up as we passed to sit down at the large wooden table on the opposite side of the room which gave us a great view of the back yard through the large sliding glass doors.

Alice, Jasper and I sat on one side of the table, while Emmett sat in the middle on the other side with his knife and fork in his hands, ready to eat. A few seconds later, Bella and Rosalie came over to the table and set plates in front of us. My eyes widened at the feast. We had a fat, juicy steak, fries, fried mushrooms, onions and tomatoes all piled up on our plates.

I looked back to Bella to see her carrying another two plates, one for her and one for Rosalie who was currently stood behind Emmett mocking him as she pretended to lunge around him to grab his food. We all laughed as Emmett began to growl like an animal at Rosalie's taunting. "Feeding time at the zoo…" Jasper murmured beside me as he glanced at Emmett who was eating his food fervently.

Once we were all seated, the conversation flowed freely between the six of us. I learnt that Alice, Bella and Emmett had been best friends since elementary school and lived together in Bella's father's old house, while Rosalie and Jasper lived in this monster of a house. They told me how Bella had always been a bookworm during school and still was, Emmett had been the football captain and Alice the head cheerleader, and then Rosalie, 'miss popular' turned up at the beginning of their junior year along with her twin brother, Jasper who was the history, preppy type.

"I fell in love with Jasper the moment I met him!" Alice told me enthusiastically as she pushed her half eaten plate away from her, towards Jasper.

"Tell him the story!" Bella pushed as she held her wine glass, not drinking it yet to be ready to answer back if Alice protested I was sure.

"Okay…" Alice sighed with a huge smile as she placed a hand on Jaspers leg and then began. "I was in the lunch line, waiting for Bella to catch up with me, when I sensed that someone was stood quite close behind me, so I thought it was Bella and said '_I've been waiting a long time for you_' sounding really aggravated, but then I turned around to look at a perfect pair of blue eyes and he went right ahead and said, '_I'm sorry that I've kept you waiting for so long'_." She finished, giving a dreamy sigh.

"And ever since then, I've never been able to get rid of her…" Jasper sighed beside me, receiving a playful smack to his arm mere seconds later.

Once the laughter died down Emmett began without prompting. "It took me a whole week to get this beauty to agree to be my girlfriend…" he began sounding exasperated while giving Rosalie a wink before he continued, "At first, she'd ignore me, tease me by squeezing past me in the hallways…but then madam went and twisted her ankle on her way down some steps, so I picked her up and carried her, like any gentleman would do, to the school nurse…" he finished, leaning back in his chair looking very pleased with himself.

"What my big bear forgot to mention…" Rosalie grinned at me before she rolled her eyes playfully at Emmett and then continued, "was that he refused to let me out of his arms, or take me to the nurse until I agreed to be his girlfriend, so I agreed, because my ankle hurt really badly, and then he drove me home and told me that he knew we were meant to be together."

"Rose! You didn't have to say that last part!" Emmett whined as Alice and Bella both 'Awww'-ed and Jasper mocked him.

Once the drama died down I thanked Bella once again for the food, which brought on a new wave of conversation where I found out about each of their jobs. Bella, which was obvious to me now, was a chef at a local restaurant, Emmett was a sports teacher at the high school, while Jasper taught history and Alice and Rosalie worked for the famous magazine, 'Vogue'.

"How many times were you hit on today?" Rosalie asked Emmett as she turned in her chair and draped her legs over his lap.

"Three times, two students, one staff member." He declared proudly as he chucked Rosalie's shoes under the table and began to rub her feet.

"Who was the member of staff?" Bella asked, curiosity dripping in her voice as she leant toward him for the answer.

"Mrs Cope…" Emmett stated with a sheepish grin on his face when the others began to shout that for some reason, this Mrs Cope's flirting didn't count.

In the middle of all of the shouting, I watched as Bella turned her head and jumped from her seat, sprinting from the table. I followed her with my eyes and watched as she soared into the arms of a tall guy with russet skin and a wide, amused smile.

For some reason, I hunched a little in my seat as a shooting pain went through my chest which I couldn't explain or understand. I looked away, curious as to why I felt a high feeling of disappointment as the big guy started to stroke Bella's hair with a soft look in his eyes.

Alice's words soon caused me to snap my head back at the couple who were still hugging, seemingly content in their embrace. "What, no wifey tonight?"

The feeling of disappointment seemed to thankfully fade away within me as the stranger gave his head a shake before he pulled Bella behind him and sat down in her previous seat beside Emmett, before he hauled her into his lap. "She's with her mother and brother tonight, those hormones!" he explained sounding a little exasperated, yet amused.

"How's the baby? Did you find out if you're having a boy or girl yet?" Rosalie asked, sounding genuinely curious as Emmett continued to absentmindedly massage her feet.

"Yeah dearest wife of mine finally decided it would be a good idea to find out, just so we know what colour to paint the nursery…so, _she_…should be arriving in the next two weeks…" the guy told Rosalie as he scratched his chin against Bella's shoulder.

"Awww…Bless!! Hey Jake, she can take over your garage when you're old and gray!" Bella laughed, as she turned in the lap of the guy who was apparently called Jake, and patted his head mockingly.

"Shut up…" he snapped with a smile playing at his lips as he added, "We'll have a boy next…and then he can take over the garage." He finished with a huge grin on his face as if he was genuinely ecstatic at planning having his next child before the one before had even been born. His grin soon changed to a pout as he asked Bella, "Have you got any food?" she laughed as she nodded her head and headed over to the kitchen. "Leah's supposed to be eating for two, but I swear she's eating for five…" Jake muttered before we all laughed lightly and even more when he told us that their kitchen was almost empty.

Bella returned a few minutes later with a heaped plate of food after Jacob and I got the chance to introduce each other. Bella came back and sat beside me because Jacob had taken her previous seat. "So do you want me to come over and help, I don't have to…" Bella stated as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Would tomorrow be to soon for you to start?" I asked, giving her my answer with a smile.

"Tomorrow would be great, what time?" she responded.

"10 o'clock alright for you?" I asked, not really knowing if it was too early or not.

"That's cool…" she stated with a grin before she, Alice and Rosalie began to clear the table.

A few minutes later, we four guys were back up stairs. Jacob and I sat on a sofa beside the pool table, while Emmett and Jasper played.

"So you're married?" I asked, a little shocked because although he was big like Emmett, you could tell that he was a year or two younger than us.

"Yeah, and with the first bun in the oven…" he grinned back, radiating excitement and happiness. He then directed his gaze to Emmett and Jasper as he asked, "Is it true that Bells has two weeks off work?"

We all confirmed that it was true before he leant back comfortably in the sofa grinning as he announced, "Good, she can be there at the hospital when her niece is born."

My mind raced wondering if they were related. They didn't look alike. Jacob must have seen my confusion as he spoke up, "Bella's been my best friend for as long as I can remember, she's like my big, but little sister…" he laughed, mocking her height. "So she'll be my baby's auntie." He finished.

**Alice POV**

Bella, Rosalie and I sat in the far corner of the room, in front of the TV which was off as we gossiped.

"So, what do you guys think of my new neighbour?" Rosalie asked with a smug look on her face as if she was the one who had hand picked him.

"Edward is so hot…he's got nothing on my Jazz, but still…" I stated as we looked over to the guys who were across the room playing pool in doubles.

"I reckon that he's probably the best looking single guy in this town…but that's not really saying much…" Bella added, reminding me of the Mike's and Tyler's of the town.

"So what time are you going over to Edwards tomorrow?" I asked, trying to sound as casual as I could while I also remembered what mine and Rosalie's assignment was going to be.

"I'm going to be there by 10am" she stated before she added, "I'm kind of exited, just because I know that I have something to do for the next few days, and I get on with Edward so far, so it shouldn't be to awkward…" she added as she stretched her back.

"Remember, if you want lunch or anything, come over here." Rosalie told her as she watched Emmett bend over the pool table, giving her a superb view of his arse. Bella thanked her as Rosalie finally broke her stare on Emmett as he completed his shot. She then asked Bella, "Are you staying over here tonight, or heading for home?"

"Home…" I just understood her through her yawn before she asked me, "You coming back with me or staying here?" she got up on her feet as she asked.

I quickly stood and told her that she would go back with her before I turned to Rosalie and gave me a quick wink before telling her, "I'll get those notes written up for you tomorrow for you to look at…" She gave me a smile and nodded in understanding before Bella and I went to say our 'Goodnights'

As she and I descended down the stairs, Jasper called out "Love you!" once more before I returned it. Jacob, being Jacob then called out, "Love you Bells!" which Bella returned with a cheesy, "Love you more Jake!"

On the way home in Bella's cruddy truck, we talked about our day and Edward. "I can't get over how hot Edward is and how easily he got on with the guys, especially my Jasper, because he's usually a little quiet…" I began, hoping that she would pill some info that we could use in our article seeing as this evening technically counted as day one of the ten days of falling in love.

"Yeah, it was good to see them getting on together…" Bella responded with a shy smile on her face as she asked me, "Did you notice Edwards's eyes!? I shook my head as I admitted that I hadn't noticed them. "What the hell? Are you blind?" she asked me, sounding appalled.

"Why? What was so great about them?" I asked back, making a mental note to remember this conversation.

"They were the most gorgeous green colour ever!" Bella exclaimed beside me before she began to prattle on about how lovesick I was with Jasper to have noticed Edwards's eyes.

Once we got to the house, I headed to my room, which was one of the spare bedrooms next to Bella's. Bella headed to hers, bidding me goodnight while Emmett's room remained empty for the night because he was staying with Rosalie. I pulled out my laptop and began to make some rough notes about what Bella had said about Edward and how they interacted together before I began to note some possible suggestions that I would run through with Rosalie tomorrow about how we would get this article going.

* * *

**You can all breathe a sigh of relief now that you know that Jacob's on the good side. I'm on Team Edward, but that doesn't mean that I don't like Jake….P.S…the whole thing with him and Leah…-I can see it happening in the Breaking Dawn, both rejected and bitter….You heard it here first folks!! :D**

**R&R**


	3. Vampires On Drugs

_**Stephenie Meyer - A God? Apparently not…but she created the Twilight Universe.**_

* * *

The chapter's song is…'Surface' by Denali. (CHECK IT OUT!! Amazing and calming, my ultimate driving song!...plus….the bands called Denali!!:)

**Rosalie POV**

Alice and I reached our office, geared up and ready to get cracking on our article, especially after what Alice told me about Bella commenting on Edward's eyes. I sat behind my desk while Alice sat behind hers.

"We're going to need something to call ourselves; we can't use our real names…" I stated as I tapped a pen against my chin, thinking.

"Why don't we call ourselves Cupids?" Alice suggested with a small frown of consideration on her face.

"What? Cupid 1 and Cupid 2?" I asked, thinking that it sounded a little boring.

"How about…Pixie Cupid and Sexy Cupid?" Alice asked beside me with humour in her voice.

"I like it…" I grinned before I wrote down our pseudonyms. "So, how are we going to do this? Write a description of Edward and Bella and their situation and then write about yesterday?" I asked as I looked down at the notes that I wrote last night.

"Yeah, go for it." Alice told me as she began her own draft which we could combine later on.

After some vigorous typing and sharing ideas and notes, we finished what would be our introductory page and the description of how their first day went.

_**Can You Fall In Love In Ten Days?**_

_Introduction._

_Love__ hard to find, sometimes difficult to believe in, impossible to find in 10 days with a perfect stranger?_

_That's what we hope to find out. Is it really as impossible as it sounds?_

_We, Sexy Cupid and Pixie Cupid will be using the next ten days to throw together two unsuspecting individuals in the hope that they will fall in love. It sounds a little ambitious, but from our personal experiences, Love can blossom within a week, or even sooner._

_Now then, I think it's best that we introduce our innocent little subjects. We will start with Bella who has been Pixie Cupids best friend since Elementary school and Sexy Cupids since our junior year. She is, a 5'4 brown haired, brown eyed beauty, not that she's register that fact. _

_Caring, loving, selfless, passionate, thoughtful, stubborn, funny, and clumsy. All of those qualities describe our dearest Bella, along with brainy and literature and music loving. _

_Her love of cooking led her to become the exceptional chef she is today, but unfortunately it comes with a sacrifice, which is her time to socialise and get out there to find love. That is why, dear readers, that we Cupids, have decided to stick our oar in and try our best to help our very best friend find love. Believe us, we wouldn't do anything to jeopardise her happiness either, therefore if this trial calls for us to halt. We must. Let's keep our fingers crossed that we Cupids have a good aim and that our arrows hit the target good and true._

_Now we move to the Target. Also known as Edward. From only having met him a less than a day ago, we must confess that we know little about him compared to the masses of information we hold with us about Bella, but hopefully, we have chosen well and all will fall into place._

_We both must also confess, even though we are both in very serious relationships, bursting with love, the both of us still found Edward rather irresistible with his messy auburn hair, 6'2 stature, strong, yet not bulky build, perfect manners, captivating gaze, breathtaking smile…need we say more ladies? He seems to be the perfect 10. Lets just hope that the saying 'Looks can be deceiving' doesn't apply here._

_Edward moved into the house next to Sexy Cupid yesterday and has all ready created a great impression upon us all. Us all being-Cupid's and their other half's, Bella and a great friend, Jacob. _

_Edward's house is in dire need of a female's touch to brighten it up, clean it down and turn it from a house, to a home. That is where Bella comes in. Having been given two weeks off work, she will be spending her time with Edward, helping him with the house, getting to know him, sharing her time with him, being in close proximity to him, making him forget about any other young, free and single women that may be about town? We can only hope! _

_With the house, also came a new music store which he will be opening in town and a car. And not any old car, Sexy Cupid was very impressed. Edward had no other than a Vanquish! Ladies, if you don't know what that is or what it looks like, go and ask your, husbands, brothers, fathers, sons for a definition or Google it. I, Sexy Cupid have one thing to say, "Sex on wheels."_

_To close up the description of this apparently perfect man, as far as we know, he is single. Let's hope that within the next ten days that that little detail will change along with Bella's relationship status!_

_Now that you have a generous description of both of our vassals, let's tell you how their first meeting went._

_**Day 1.**_

_S-Cupid and P-Cupid have already watched Bella and Edward interacting as they talked animatedly about Edwards store and of their equal love for music and literature. Having something in common must be a good thing, a basis for their relationship, we hope. After the initial meeting at Edward's house, we all adjourned to S-Cupids house where Bella cooked us all a slap up meal. Hopefully the saying 'The way to a mans heart is through his stomach' will apply here, especially after hearing Edward complementing and thanking her for the food._

_Now for the interesting part. While we were all around the dinner table, Jacob, our good friend came in and Bella ran into his arms, overjoyed to see him. P-Cupid is happy enough to declare that she noticed a look of disappointment or sadness in Edwards features, until she cleverly asked Jacob where his wife was. At the mention of Jacob's wife, Edward suddenly perked up and looked back at the couple as if nothing had happened. Interesting._

_At the end of the night, we Cupids managed to coax out what Bella thought of the new neighbour and found that she thought him to be the best looking guy in town, but in all honesty, that's nothing to shout about. Finally on the way back to Bella's house, P-Cupid found out that Bella seemed to be a little partial to Edward's eyes which are apparently a stark green colour…that P-Cupid cleverly pretended not to have noticed as a ploy to wheedle out the truth._

_Now, read on to find out how we Cupid's get on and our unsuspecting couple._

"Do you think that's alright?" Alice asked apprehensively once she'd finished reciting to me and Keith, who we had roped in for a second opinion.

"This is going to be so interesting!" Keith exclaimed as he looked from Alice and me with awe in his voice and face. "And they have no idea what you're up to?" he asked in disbelief as Alice passed him the article that she'd just read out.

"Not a clue." I stated simply as I sat back in my chair, hoping that this would all go to plan for Bella just as much as for Alice and me for our reputation's sake in this competitive job.

"If it all works out, do you think that you could help me out with my love life?" he asked with a glint of humour in his eyes as he got up and set the paper back on Alice's desk.

"Sure thing, Teegan still the target?" I asked, remembering our conversation from yesterday.

"Yep, get practicing on your bow and arrow shooting aim!" he laughed as he headed to the door. "Coffee o'clock yet?" he asked as he opened the door to leave.

"Sure is!" Alice sighed as she sat back in her chair behind her desk, looking as pleased as I felt at our apparent accomplishment with the article so far.

"Do you think that we should let Jasper and Emmett in on this?" I asked as I checked my e-mails.

"I don't know? I've got this funny feeling that they'll push those two together anyway." Alice stated as she filed her nails with a speculative look on her face.

"Why don't we wait and see how it goes?" I offered as I got up to open the door to Keith who was whining on the other side because he couldn't balance the tray and open the door.

Alice nodded her head in agreement to my suggestion before I opened the door. "Come on in captain slow." I sighed as I let Keith in.

"I forget to leave the door open and now I'm captain slow?" he asked with incredulity dripping in his voice as he set down the tray on Alice's desk and nabbed a few biscuits.

"Hey, can I help you with your mission?" he asked, sounding like a five year old as his eyes lit up in excitement.

"Maybe…" Alice and I both said at the same time, speculation in both of our voices, causing Keith to punch the air in excitement before he dove onto the sofa and ate away.

**Bella POV**

As I lay in bed, I could hear Alice prattling around the house. I heard her as she took her shower, went down stairs fumbled about in the kitchen and then I heard her coming back up the stairs.

"3…2…1…" I mumbled under my breath as I heard her advance on the other side of the door.

She opened my door as expected and launched herself at me. I burrowed further under my blanket, knowing what was to come. "Alice…" I whiled as she whipped back my covers and kissed my cheek before chucking them back over me.

"I'll see you tonight sleepy head, and remember that you have to be at Edwards by 10…" she told me in a motherly tone as she patted me through the blanket.

"I know mother…" I replied in a sing song voice which caused us both to laugh. We said our goodbye's quickly at the sound of Rosalie's car out front, and then I got up, knowing that I'd never get back to sleep now.

I got up, showered, got dressed in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt which had 'Vampires On Drugs' written across the front and then made my way down for breakfast. I studied the mess that dear, small, Alice had miraculously managed to make just from throwing together a bowl of cereal. I cleaned up her mess before I ate my own bowl of cereal and then headed to the door. I quickly threw my hair up in a messy up-do before I locked the front door and went out to my truck.

**Edward POV**

I foolishly ran to the window at the sound of a roaring truck pulling into my neighbours drive. I watched as Bella got out and made her way over to my house. From my position at the window I just managed to read her t-shirt, 'Vampires On Drugs' I chuckled at that, wondering how she came to have such a random t-shirt.

I opened the door for her once she knocked. "Hi, how are you?" I asked as she stepped inside, a little windswept from the autumn wind.

"Not to shabby…" she stated with a smile as she pushed some stray strands of hair from her face.

"I better show you around the place…" I told her as I realised that she'd only been in the living room which was to the left of the doorway. I led her down the hall to the kitchen which had an adjoining dining room much like Rosalie and Jasper had in their house. From the dining room, I led her back into the large living room and up the stairs.

I indicated to the first door on the left of the hallway which was a bathroom, next was a guest bedroom and then a room which I would use as a music and literature room. Opposite that door, to the right of the hallway were my bedroom which was ene-suite and then another guest bedroom.

"This is a pretty big house…" Bella stated as she followed me back down stairs, into the living room.

"Yeah, I don't know what I'm going to do with all of it yet…" I admitted before I turned to the mountain of boxes which littered the whole bottom floor of the house. "All of the boxes are labelled with which room they need to go to…" I told her before I caught sight of a particularly heavy box and hastily added, "But don't go picking up any heavy boxes, leave those for me, please…" I practically pleaded as I imagined that she'd be stubborn type and would have gone ahead and hauled the heavy boxes anyway instead of asking for my help.

"Sure thing boss…" she muttered as she looked around at the boxes.

"So what do we need to do first?" I asked, feeling completely useless in this foreign situation which was moving into a new house.

"Clean it down I guess, have you got any supplies?" she asked me with doubt etched across her features.

I shook me head in the negative, telling her what she seemed to have already guessed. "Okay, I'll pop next door and get some stuff" she began as she headed towards the front door.

"No, don't…" I began as I went after her and closed my hand around hers, halting her. I froze for a few seconds at the off spark that seemed to flow through me at our touch. I heard her gasp, so I guessed that she felt it too. "You felt that?" I asked in wonder as I looked up slowly from our joined hands, up her arm, to her face which was still turned away from me.

"Electric shock I guess…" she muttered as I released my hold on her. I gave her a small smile as she turned to look at me with confusion on her face. I nodded at her explanation, while inside I wasn't so sure. It felt different to the rare, small electric shock that you could give someone by touching them, this new shock seemed to flow through my entire body, but it didn't hurt.

"So what did you want?" her curious voice called me back to reality as she stared at me, waiting patiently for me to regain my senses.

"I can't use your friends stuff, we should head to the store to get some cleaning products, and it would be handy to have them in the house for future use anyway…" I backed up my argument, hoping that she'd come with me seeing that I didn't really know my way around town properly yet.

"Okay fine, let's go…" she smiled at me as she opened the door, ready to head out.

"Aren't you going to get cold?" I asked as I shrugged on my coat, looking out, past her to the chilling wind.

"Suppose so… I'll go next door and find something…" she sighed as she went to leave.

"Here, have this!" I called after her as I held out a hoodie that I had hanging in the closet beside my coats.

"Thanks" she grinned at me before she tugged it over her head, upsetting her hair even more. As she pulled the sleeves up her arms a little, she also blew the hair from her face. I couldn't help but smile at how adorable she looked.

She soon got sorted and skipped down to the car while I locked the door behind me before joining her as she stood beside the Vanquish, looking a little apprehensive.

"You wont drive fast will you? I get enough of that with the others." She told me with a hint of a frown at her brows as she held her arms crossed over her chest defiantly.

"I'll keep to the speed limit if you want me to." I told her as I unlocked the car and got in. She soon slid in beside me and buckled up as I started the engine.

After a good ten minutes and an in depth conversation about Debussy after she found my CD, we made it to the store and began to walk around. I had no idea what we needed, but Bella seemed to, so I let her roam free, chucking this and that into the trolley, muttering quickly to me why we needed it.

I pushed the trolley behind her in a leisurely pace as I watched Bella stretch, crouch and peer about the different shelves. She was a woman on a mission. She asked me if I had a hoover, or a mop and bucket and I told her that I didn't. That caused her to start to fuss over which of the hoovers on display were the best for value. She finally chose on when I threatened to sit on the floor like a child until she chose one.

Once we reached the food isle, the fun began as I picked what I liked and Bella tried to help as she held up items for me, asking me if I liked them.

"Chocolate?" she called to me as she held a big bar in her hand while her head was cocked to the side, waiting my verdict.

"Yes" I answered, causing her to chuck it at me as we had been doing with the less breakable items. I dropped the bar of chocolate into the trolley and then carried on scanning the isle.

"Pasta?" I heard her voice, but I couldn't see her. I called out an unsure 'yes', hoping that she'd heard me and that I didn't look like a complete plank, talking to myself.

"Lasagne?" her familiar voice called again from the same direction in some other isle.

"Yes!" I called again after letting a member of staff walk away from my line of vision. I picked a few more items before Bella rounded the corner, walking towards me, heavily laden with lasagne ingredients. After helping her put them into the trolley, we headed for the checkout.

Bella closed her eyes and muttered a soft, "Sorry" as the total was rung up. I handed over my card and paid, laughing at Bella's reaction.

"Why are you sorry? I need all these things don't I?" I asked as we headed back to the car.

"Well…yes, but it's a lot of money…" she mumbled as I opened the trunk of the car and began to unload.

I simply arched a brow at her, hoping that she'd realise from that that she had no reason to feel guilty what so ever. Once we loaded the car; we headed back to the house and then unloaded all of the shopping. Bella sorted out all of the new cleaning implements while I put away all of the food.

"What do you want me to do first?" I asked her once I'd finished with the groceries.

"Erm…you could hoover maybe?" she said making her order sound like a request.

"Bella, just tell me what to do, you are in charge because I have no idea what all of these things are about…" I admitted freely as I gestured to the array of cleaning things on the floor.

"Okay, well, you hoover after me once I've dusted." She stated confidently as she picked up a duster and began wiping down the windows, the skirting boards and other surfaces that dust had settled upon.

Obediently, I followed after her once she finished each room, and hoovered. Once the whole house was done, my back was killing me and my throat was dry from all of the dust that was being unsettled.

"Lunch time…" I croaked after switching the hoover off. Bella nodded her head in agreement and made her way down stairs ahead of me and began to pull food out of the cupboards.

"Bella, sit down and let me do that…" I told her as I reached the kitchen. She arched her brow at me as I had done to her before, daring me to argue with her. I let her win, secretly glad that she insisted on making the food, because since last night, I was sure that her food was the best that I'd ever tasted even though it was only a simple steak and fries. Instead, I filed a glass each for us with orange juice and gratefully accepted the sandwiches that she made for the both of us.

I switched on the small portable radio that I'd plugged in yesterday and then the both of us ate as the oldies station played some classic tunes.

"I've got to head over to my store in an hour of two…" I told her once we were done with eating.

"'Kay, I'll just sort out some of the boxes, just so I know where they're all going and then I'll head next door, Emmett and Jasper should be home from school by then." She told me as she re-clipped her hair up as it had practically completely fallen from its place.

The both of us moved the boxes around, setting them in different areas in the living room until we had them all done.

"You'll be over tonight right?" she asked from the window that I had been at earlier that morning.

I watched her wave to Emmett and Jasper and then replied. "Nah…I think I'll stay here, once I get the TV plugged in, things should be alright." I studied the widescreen TV which had been previously submerged in boxes.

"Don't be silly, come over, I'll be cooking again…" she said the last bit with a sly smile on her face. I had to smile back at the fact that she knew that her food was irresistible.

I gave out a heartfelt sigh and said, sounding exasperated, "Okay, I'll come over after I've finished at the store"

She rolled her eyes at my exasperated charade and then took off my hoodie, saying thank you before she opened the door, calling a goodbye before closing it behind her. I stood alone in the house, watching her run into Emmett's arms who swung her around like a father would do to a daughter. I quickly grabbed my coat and headed out, waving at the others as I made my way to my car, feeling a little confused as to why I felt that the house felt empty now that Bella had left.

**Bella POV**

After leaving Edward's house I ran towards Emmett who had is arms outstretched, ready to catch me as he always did. He flung me around, holding me safe in his boulder sized arms until he softly let me back on my feet.

"Edward a slave driver or what?" He asked, amusement in his voice.

"Nope, he's pretty laid back actually." I told him as I looked back over to Edward's house, to see him walking towards his car. The three of us waved to him before we went into the house.

"Bella…I'm kind of hungry…" Jasper stated shyly as he rubbed the back of his head and hit me full force with his baby blue eyes.

"You know where the kitchen is" I smiled at him as I began to walk up stairs after Emmett.

"Bella…you know that I love you…" Jasper whined from behind me. I turned to look at him and got caught in the full force of his persuasive nature. Somehow, he always seemed to be able to break me with his puppy dog eyes and the way he made me feel guilty for not making him food.

"Fine…" I admitted defeat and trudged back down the stairs into Jaspers pleased hug as he whispered to me what he wanted me to make him.

I headed to the kitchen and made him what he wanted while he went up stairs with Emmett. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, Alice and Rosalie came through the door. "Emmett?" Rosalie asked as she looked the sandwich that I'd made.

"Jasper" I stated seconds before Alice grabbed the plate from me and headed up stairs with a huge smile on her face.

Rosalie and I headed up stairs to find Alice sitting in Jaspers lap, facing him as she fed him his sandwich. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of those two together. Five years on and they were still as lovey dovey as they had been when they first met. I looked to Rosalie and saw that she already had Emmett rubbing her feet obediently. Unlike other couples, Emmett never complained at the task of rubbing Rosalie's feet, he always seemed to do everything in his power to make Rosalie as happy as possible.

I plopped myself down on the sofa between the two couples and watched some TV, feeling alone as I always felt when both couples were together, not that I had a problem with that, I loved to see them happy and wouldn't want to break them up from each others embrace just for my sake.

Some time later, I decided to go and get dinner started. Jasper blew me a kiss, keeping silent as I picked up his empty plate while Alice lay draped over his chest either asleep, or too content to move from his embrace. As I began to get things out of the cupboards, Alice and Rosalie came and joined me.

"How did your day go with Edward?" Alice asked me as she began to peel some potatoes.

"Quite good, we got on and he helped with the hoovering and we went shopping and bought an obscene amount of food!" I told them as I began to chop up some onions while Rosalie sealed mince in a big saucepan.

"Wow…shopping and cleaning…" Rosalie stated with an impressed tone in her voice.

"I know…" I answered seconds before the front door rang.

Rosalie bolted for the door and lurched it open. Alice and I followed and I smiled when I saw that it was Edward. "Come on in beautiful!" Rosalie laughed as she stepped back to let him in. I wondered why she called him beautiful; until I saw the three bunches of flowers in his hands. He handed Rosalie a bunch of blood red roses, Alice a bunch of bright yellow and orange tulips while I was handed a beautiful bunch of multi coloured freesias.

"Edward…you didn't have to…" I muttered as I toyed with my bunch of flowers, smiling uncontrollably at the sweet gesture.

"Yes I did, I just wanted to say thanks for helping me so far and for being so hospitable." He answered, giving us all a breathtaking smile. I gave him a one armed hug to make sure that I didn't squash my flowers. I felt his arms wrap around me as he hugged me back, swaying us slightly.

I stepped back and let Alice hug him and then Rosalie. "Smooching up to my girl bud?" Emmett's voice called from the top of the stairs where he stood with Jasper just behind him, the both of them with their arms crossed defiantly across their chests, but with humour in their faces.

"Damn Edward! He caught us!" Rosalie laughed as she gave Edward a soft push on his chest. "Oooo…strong!" she laughed again at her finding.

I caught Edwards blush as Rosalie and Alice began to roam their free hands over his chest while Emmett and Jasper laughed from above. I shook my head and called to Rosalie and Alice, "Come on, or dinners going to be ruined." I made my way to the kitchen and laughed as I heard Emmett and Jasper protesting that they didn't want dinner ruined.

Soon Rosalie and Alice were back with me, peeling and stirring while I chopped the onions up. Edward entered a minute or two later with beer and asked where he should put them. I turned to look at him, tears streaming form my eyes from the onions attack. "Just leave them over there" I sniffed as I pointed over to a bare counter.

"Are you alright?" he asked me in a whisper as he came and stood right in front of me, so Alice and Rosalie couldn't hear our conversation.

I grinned back at his caring nature and dabbed at my eyes as I indicated to the onions. "The onions don't play fair, they attack with force" I chuckled as he nodded in understanding and then set down the beer.

"Do you want me to do anything?" he asked as he looked between the three of us.

"Yeah, go and keep an eye on Jasper and Emmett for us" Rosalie stated, grinning as she shooed him out of the door.

"What was that about?" she hissed at me in awe as she closed the kitchen door.

"What?" I asked, completely confused as to what she was getting at.

"Edward, close up to you, whispering…" she listed as she planted one hand on her hip and stirred the mince and the onions that I'd added in the pan with her other hand.

"He just asked me if I was alright, probably because my eyes were streaming…" I explained as I turned my attention to the flowers which were on the counter top.

"That was nice of him" Alice threw in as she put the potatoes on to boil.

"I suppose…" I answered slowly, not really understanding what the big Q&A was all about. I placed each bunch of flowers in vases then went about setting the table. After some speculation I added, "I think he's just a caring sort of guy, he gave me his hoodie before we went out today so I wouldn't get cold…"

"That was nice of him" Rosalie stated with an approving smile on her face.

Quickly remembering how I felt a sudden spark when Edward grabbed my hand before giving me his hoodie, I asked, "Guys, have you ever felt a funny spark thing when someone touches your hand?"

Both Rosalie and Alice shook their heads in the negative after some seconds of speculation. I shrugged and got back to what I was doing as I added, "Maybe it was shock? Edward grabbed my hand as we leaved the house to go shopping and I got this electric shock kind of thing..."

"Wierd..." Alice declared before she shook her head. "Hey Bella, would you mind helping us with our assignment for work?" She asked as she placed glasses in front of each place setting.

"Sure, what do you need me to do?" I asked, feeling a little intrigued and excited for being able to help them.

"We're doing a friendship assignment for next month, so we thought we'd do it about how us lot get on with Edward in the next week or two." She answered me as she went to get another three glasses.

"So what do I do?" I asked, curious as to my role in all of this.

"Well, you just report back to us at the end of each day about how your day went with Edward, what you talked about, how you're getting on…" She explained before she added, "We'll be doing the same, but seeing as you'll be around Edward more than us, we thought you could help us."

I nodded my head, ready to help them in any way I could. "Sure, does Edward know about this?" I asked, wondering if I had to keep my mission a secret.

"No!" the both of them called out in unison with panic in their voices. I gave them a quizzing look before Rosalie elaborated, "We can't have Edward find out, we need it to be as natural as possible"

"Whatever you say…" I answered, heading back to the saucepan to get the dinner finished.

"Cool, so can you make it over to our office tomorrow to talk?" Alice asked as she leant against the kitchen counter beside me. I nodded my head, not seeing that it would be any problem with Edward.

Once dinner was finished and it was getting late, I bid everyone goodnight, except for Emmett, who was coming home with me tonight. I knew that neither of them liked to leave me alone in my house, that's why Alice and Emmett always took turns to come back with me if I didn't feel like staying over at Rosalie's and Jasper's.

"Edwards a cool guy." Emmett stated as we made our way to my house in my slow truck.

"Yeah, he's pretty cool" I couldn't help but giggle as I cut a look at Emmett who was sat beside me with my bunch of freesias cradled in his arms. "It was good of him to get you and Jasper those beers" I stated as I remembered the ecstatic look on Emmett's face when he saw them.

"He's a keeper!" he stated enthusiastically with a laugh before he turned all serious and glared at me. "If he tries anything…let me know…" I picked up the threat in his voice as he spoke.

"Sure Emm" I replied just to placate him. Somehow I couldn't see Edward as being the sort of sleazy guy that Emmett imagined every guy to be where I was concerned. He was slightly overprotective, but I loved him for it.

Turning back to his normal self as we pulled up to the house, Emmett asked, "You know last week, I told you that we're going out to dinner Saturday?" I nodded my head. "If you want, Edward could come along…I can call the restaurant tomorrow to let them know that there will be six of us…" he offered as we got out of the car.

I slammed my door shut and locked it as I spoke, "That's nice of you, I'll ask him for you tomorrow."

I followed him to the house. Once inside, we said our goodnights and Emmett gave me a rib crunching hug before he kissed me on the forehead and we both headed for bed.

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**The shopping bit it literally me and my twin sister…fun times, fun times!! And Bella's t-shirt/chapters name come's from my sister's story 'pizza escapade' by 'iamvamp' where they all the Cullen kids get high!! Amazing and Random, we had a laugh thinking that one up in work!!**

**Read and Review, they make the chapters pop up faster!!**


	4. Lights Out, Dazzle On

_**Stephenie Meyer - A God? Apparently not…but she created the Twilight Universe.**_

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The chapters song is…'Backwoods Gold' by Black stone Cherry.

**Rosalie POV**

_**Day 2.**_

_Dear readers, P-Cupid and I are beginning to wonder if Edward is Mr Perfect, let us tell you why. After Bella arrived at Edward's this morning, he gave her a tour of his house and then they headed out to do some shopping...in the Vanquish...luckly little... __Back to the matter at hand...on the way out of the house, Edward grabbed Bella's hand and a 'spark' as she called it seemed to go through the both of them. When she asked us if we knew what it was, we lied and told her that we didn't, but we do. Hopefully that was the first spark of attraction between the two, it's just a shame that they haven't realised it yet. After that, Edward being the sweetheart that he seems to be, gave Bella one of his hoodies to wear so she wouldn't get cold. All together now..."Awwww" _

_Once back from the store, Bella got our man hoovering! Yes! He's good looking, smart and he cleans! We Cupids also wonder if he can cook as well? We're sure that we will find out soon enough. Now for the icing on the cake. As Bella and the Cupids were preparing dinner, Edward turned up as planned but surprised us all by giving us ladies a bunch of flowers each and our other halfs beer which made them very happy! We must add that while we were preparing dinner, Bella chopping up onions, causing her eyes to redden and stream with tears, Edward came in and saw her. We Cupids felt a little guilty as we watched Edward stand up close to Bella, with a look of worry on his face as he asked her if she was alright. We really felt like we should have paid a ticket for the viewing or at least gotten a bowl of popcorn for the spectacular scene. _

_Do these little details add up to the stirring in the waters of love? We hope so. We have the spark, the hoodie to keep Bella warm, the caring nature that Edward showed when Bella was 'crying' and the flowers. All of that in day two, we can only guess what will happen next!_

I read over my work once more before I printed the page and passed it to Alice, to see if she could find anything that needed changing or adding. I then sat back in my chair, pondering over what I had written on the last sentence, what would those two get up to today?

**Bella POV**

"_I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world!"_

I pummelled my fists into my pillow before I threw it on top of my head in a vain attempt of blocking out Emmett's shameless singing as he showered.

"I'll give you a Barbie world…" I threatened in a sleepy mumble as he continued singing, word for word and so high pitched, I wondered if all of the dogs in town would be clawing down my front door.

"_Come on Barbie, let's go party!"_

"I'll give you a party…no wait…no I won't" my sleepy mind ran ragged in confusion at the ungodly early hour.

He finally finished his long shower, having probably used up all of the hot water and then bounded down stairs, making the same level of noise I was sure that a stampede would have made.

A few minutes later, at the sound of the fire alarm going off, I decided that was it. I was getting up. It was a futile wish that I'd manage to get a lie in with Emmett in the house, I knew that I wouldn't, I chastised myself for hoping as I shrugged on my dressing gown and slipped on my slippers.

The alarm suddenly stopped, telling me that Emmett either had things under control, or they were totally out of control and he'd taken out the fire alarm's batteries to stop it from distracting him.

"It's okay!" Emmett hollered from the kitchen as I opened my bedroom door and made my way down stairs.

I leant against the doorframe in the kitchen as I watched Emmett who was sat at the table, eating a piece of burnt toast from the stack on his plate, grimacing at its disgusting taste. I shook my head at him, and then looked up to the clock to see how much time he had until he had to leave for school. I worked out that he had a good twenty minutes, so I grabbed his plate of charcoaled toast from under his nose and threw it in the bin before I pulled out a frying pan.

"Thanks Bells…" Emmett's sheepish voice came from behind me as I lay out strips of bacon in the pan.

A little while later, Emmett was happily finishing off his hefty breakfast while I washed the dishes. "Bells, baby, you're the best!" Emmett declared behind me as his chair screeched across the floor, telling me that he was getting up.

I grabbed his empty plate from him with dripping hands before he came up behind me and hugged me, crushing my ribs before he kissed the top of my head. He released me from his constricting grasp as he said, "Remember to ask Edward about dinner"

"Yeah sure, I'll let you know what he says" I replied before I yawned, hanging my head in my tiredness.

"Wake up sleepy!" Emmett chuckled before he tickled my sides, causing me to spill water from the sink, all over my front.

""Emmett…you little!" I growled, but was cut off as I turned around and saw the front door slam shut, Emmett's laughter receding him.

After cleaning up the spilled water and the rest of the kitchen, I showered and got dressed simply in jeans and a hoodie before I headed over to Edwards. I pulled up in Rosalie and Jaspers drive and then made my way over to Edwards. Seconds after ringing the doorbell, I heard him shout from within, "It's open!"

"Howd'ya know it was me?" I asked childishly as I raised my brow and held out my hands in question.

"I heard your truck advancing about a hundred yards down the road…" he stated, smirking up at me as he leant over the kitchen counter, reading a magazine.

"Ahhhh hush your mouth Mr Vanquish!" I pouted as I leant at the counter beside him while he chuckled at my expense.

"Hey," I said as I gave his shoulder a soft push, "Before I forget, Emmett asked me to ask you if you wanted to come to dinner with us all Saturday night." I recited out in one breath, poking my tongue out after as I hauled air back into my lungs. He laughed at me before he nodded his head and told me that he'd love to come. "Cool, I better tell big bear…" I mumbled as I pulled my cell from the back pocket of my jeans and then dialled.

"Edwards coming to dinner Saturday night!" I called out excitedly, grinning as Emmett prattled on about phoning the restaurant to change the details of the reservation. "How's school?" I went on to ask once he'd finished his tirade about dinner.

"_Not so bad, I get to watch a load of kids run around the track all breathless…"_ he chuckled before he screamed, _"Cooper, pick up the pace, you're slacking!" _I laughed at Emmett's command to some poor, unknown kid.

"Ohhh, hey, I never got the chance to say thank you for soaking me with dishwater this morning!" I smirked as I spoke, waiting to see what smart-alec reply he'd come up with.

"_Ohhh, I'd love to chat, but I've got to go…"_ He muttered quickly with laughter in his voice. _"I'm driving through a tunnel…"_ His words became undecipherable as he began to stutter his words and blow into the mouthpiece, making funny crackling noises.

"Jerk!" I called at the phone before I heard a distinctive 'click' signalling that Emmett had hung up. "He's glad that you're coming…" I smiled at Edward as I slipped my phone back in my jeans pocket.

"Cool…I've got to ask, what was the dishwater thing about?" Edward asked as he pushed himself up on the counter and sat down.

I copied him and took the counter opposite him before I responded, "I was washing up this morning, then Emmett came up behind me and gave me a kiss and a cuddle as you do, and then he went ahead and tickled me, which made me jump and spill dishwater everywhere…" I admitted, grinning, unable to stay annoyed at him as I remembered his swift exit.

I caught the wistful expression on Edwards face as he smiled, stating more than asking, "You love him don't you."

I grinned back at him, nodding my head as I began, "Yep, he's practically my brother from another mother seeing as we've been best buds since the first day of Elementary school." I told him as the memory of that day came back to me.

"How did you two end up being best friends?" he asked me with curiosity in his face and laced in his voice.

I looked up to Edward to see him waiting intently for my answer, so I began, "I gave Emmett my cookie on the first day of school, because I didn't want it, and then he repaid me when he went and punched this blonde haired boy when he tried to kiss me…" I broke out laughing as I remembered how Emmett floored the kid and then balled his hands into fists, planting them on his hips defiantly as he told the kid what he's do to him next time if he dared to be annoying to his best friend.

"You give him a cookie, and he becomes your bodyguard!" Edward chuckled in disbelief as I nodded my head.

"Alice has been my best friend since that day too. She was the one who came to comfort me after the blonde kid tried to kiss me…I was mortified!" I laughed at myself for being so childish, and then laughed even more when I realised that I was in fact a child at the time. When Edward asked me why I was laughing and I told him, he joined me in our breathless laughter on the countertops.

"What about Jacob?" Edward asked once we'd regained our senses and calmed down.

I paused for a short moment as I registered a slight frown on Edward's previously cheerful face. I wondered what was wrong with him, if he had a problem with Jake, but I answered him regardless, "I've known Jake all my life; he's my big in height, but small in years brother who hung out with me a lot, especially when the others were out on dates together and I was alone in the house…" I explained.

"Alone? Where were your parents?" he asked in an enquiring tone and with nervous eyes.

I answered him quickly as I realised that my comment made it sound like my parents were dead. "My parents split up when I was young, but I stayed with my dad, then when I was 16 my parents got back together, so my dad moved out to live with my mom in Phoenix, but I didn't want to leave, so Emmett and Alice came and lived with me to keep me company…" I told him, letting my sentence trail off as I realised that I'd told him the basics of it.

"That's a nice story…" Edward smiled a crooked smile at me which caused my mind to falter. I quickly regained myself as I blinked repeatedly and looked away.

"What about you? What's your story?" I asked, trying to sound as interested as I really was after being…dazzled?

"I'm an only child, my fathers a well respected doctor and my best friend, my mother has a huge heart so she fosters and adopts children…" he trailed off, waving his arm in a casual manner.

"And so you came here for a fresh start?" I asked, for some reason eager to know more about him.

"Bingo." He smiled at me before he continued, "I just wanted to do something that I love, so I hope to god that this music store does well…"

"I'm sure it will" I said truthfully and reassuringly as I jumped from the counter having realised that we'd churned through two hours and it was now gone 12.

"You sit and look at some colour charts and I'll cook…" Edward ordered as he hopped down from the counter and piled the charts together.

I sat at my designated seat and began to leaf through the charts, discarding more than I was keeping. By the time that I had the charts sorted into 'keepers' and 'leavers' piles, Edward finished making our lunch.

I passed him the 'keepers' pile while we ate. He looked through them while I decided on what I would do after lunch before I had to head out to Alice and Rosalie's office for out little 'meeting'.

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked me between bites with a look of genuine curiosity in his eyes.

"I've got to go meet Alice and Rosalie in about three hours so I was just wondering what to do till then…I hope you don't mind?" I added, biting my bottom lip in worry because I knew that I would go to Alice and Rosalie regardless.

"Of course I don't mind! You're here voluntarily! " he chuckled, his eyes glimmering with laughter.

Once we finished our lunch, I got up and began peering through the cleaning products on the floor. Once I sorted out a few items, I called to Edward who was washing up, "I'm going to go and clean the bathroom, so if you want me, I'll be there!"

"'Kay! Don't have too much fun!" He called after me as I made my way up stairs. I rolled my eyes at his comment, then tripped at the top step and made a mental note to not roll my eyes again while walking up stairs.

I took off my shoes, feeling too hot in my bulky trainers and paraded around comfortably in my polka dot socks. After cleaning the guest bathroom pretty thoroughly, I headed over to Edwards and almost finished when the light fused and died out on me. I flicked the switch a few times and then forgot whether it was on or off, so I headed down stairs to the laundry room to shut off the electric before I went back up and played about with changing the light bulb.

New light bulb in hand, electric shut off and no Edward in sight, I headed back up to the bathroom. The room was pretty dark, but thankfully I had enough light to see from the shaft of light that came in from the door which joined onto Edward's bedroom. I braced one leg on the toilet and the other on the counter so I could reach the light bulb. I balanced well and managed to take the old light bulb out before I got back up again and re-gained my balance while I tried to get the new bulb in.

I frowned a little confused as the room seemed to grow darker, "Bella, don't!" Edwards's frantic voice came from the doorway, distracting all of my attention from the light bulb in my hands and my balance. I looked to him, frozen as he stared at me in complete horror. That's when I began to slip and fall.

Within seconds there was an astounding, echoing crash of the light bulb which had been in my hand, hitting the floor. My breathing came in short, sharp burst from the shock as I semi-stood, supported miraculously by Edwards strong arms which were wrapped securely locked around my back. My hands began to hurt from the death grip that they were holding Edwards shoulders in so I slackened my hold and then felt his shoulder muscles clench as he pulled me tighter to him as he whispered my name nervously into my ear.

I stood up as straight as I could manage in Edward's tight hold and pulled my head away from the base of his neck to look up at him. In the darkness, oddly, his eyes seemed to be the only things that I could see. Their bizarreness captured me, causing me to outright stare at them. An uncharted time later, just as my breathing was becoming more rapid, I felt Edwards arms slacken and finally drop away from me. At the same time, I lowered my hands from his shoulders, to my side and he took a step back from me, severing our connection.

"Good catch huh?" he laughed weakly at the end, causing me to blush in embarrassment. I thanked god that he couldn't see me blushing in the darkness of the room.

"Yeah…" I whispered, still a little shocked from the weird feeling that I felt as I was pressed up against him, then I remembered how he scared the living day lights out of me. "Why the hell did you shout like that?" I asked as I planted my hands on my hips defiantly before I dropped them, realising that he probably couldn't see me any more than I could see him from the distance he set between us.

"You were playing around with the lights, what if you got electrocuted?" he asked back calmly, irritating the hell out of me.

"I wouldn't have been electrocuted because I turned off the main power to the house!" I retaliated, sighing in exasperation.

"Ohhh…I didn't know…I'm sorry…" Edward offered with shame in his voice.

I felt guilty for making him feel guilty, so went to take a step towards him to give him a mechanical friendly hug, until I was halted. "Glass on the floor!" Edward gushed out as he grabbed hold of the tops of my arms and pushed me back. He took a step forward, his shoes crunching over the glass as he stood close in front of me, leaving me sandwiched snugly between him and the counter.

"Let's get you out of here…" he whispered seconds before he wisped me up into his arms, holding me bridal style in his strong grasp. I slid my arms around his neck as he carried me over the crunchy fragments of glass to his barely furnished bedroom.

"Thank you" I murmured once he'd set me on my feet. "I better get that cleaned up…" I added, referring to the glass as I grabbed my trainers and slipped them on.

"Leave it." He ordered me with a smile pulling at his lips before he added, "Don't you have to go see Alice and Rosalie?" he raised a brow in question as he spoke.

I glanced at my watch and noticed that it was later than I thought it was. "Yeah, I should head off…" I began, before I turned to him and smiled as I reminded him, "Don't forget that the electric's off…"

Not long after leaving Edward's house, I was ascending in the elevator to Rosalie and Alice's office. I strolled to their door after a quick chat with Keith and telling him that I'd have a latte.

"What's up office bitches?" I asked as I swanned into their office, startling them from their frantic typing.

"Hey Bells" Rosalie greeted me while Alice gave me quick wave before she returned to her typing for a few more moments. I lounged on the big black sofa, waiting for the both of them to finish what they were doing and for Keith to bring in my coffee.

Moments later, Rosalie and I were sat on the sofa, coffees in our hands while Alice sat at her computer, typing idly away between adding her bit to our conversation.

"So what do you need to know?" I asked after they asked me to give them some information to help them with their article.

"Just run us through what you've been up to today…" Rosalie began as Alice readied herself for the note taking.

"Well…I went over there…" I began, and then explained in detail what we did and talked about until I came to the interesting part which I quickly mumbled in a vain hope that they'd overlook it. "And then I fell and Edward caught me and carried me to his bedroom…"

"Stop! Rewind! Play!" Rosalie practically shouted at me as she held her hands palm up in a halting motion.

I gave a heavy sigh and ran through the occurrence in more detail. "I was in the bathroom, and it was pretty dark, but it was alright because there was some light coming from his bedroom, but then it got dark because he blocked the doorway as he shouted at me, and then I slipped…" I paused for a few moments to see both Alice and Rosalie staring at me, both looking on tenterhooks. I decided to carry on before they pushed me. I thought back to what happened and recited the rest of the story, "I don't know what happened, but I fell and ended up holding on to him, and he had his arms wrapped around me really tightly…and then there was only his eyes, they were all I could see…" I explained as I frowned in confusion. I wondered why his eyes were the only things I saw and remembered seeing.

"What happened then?" Rosalie asked lightly and patiently, reminding me of a therapist from some cheap soap opera.

"He felt guilty, then I felt guilty, so I went to hug him to make it all better, but there was glass on the floor so he pushed me back against the counter and I was pressed up against him" I blushed as I said the last bit, belatedly remembering how strong and toned he felt against me now that the shock was gone.

"My, my, things are getting a little frisky!" Alice laughed from behind her desk. "Maybe Rosalie and I should intervene!" she added, in a fake shocked voice.

That reminded me of Edward's suggestion of having Rosalie and Alice over to help with the decorating. I jumped at the chance to change the subject from me. "Edward wants you two over at the weekend to choose the colour schemes of the two guest rooms." I told them as I drained what was left of my coffee.

"Ohhh my god! I'm so there!" Alice cheered while Rosalie gave me a simpler smile and a nod of her head.

"Cool, I'll let him know…" I told them as I relaxed back into the sofa. "Did Emmett tell you that Edwards coming to dinner with us Saturday night?" I yawned as I turned my head to look at Rosalie.

"No, he didn't, but thanks for telling me, it'll be nice to have him there seeing as the guys seem to get on with him pretty well…" She commented as she stretched her back. "We done here Alice?" She then asked as she rubbed her temples.

"Yep, we can get cracking on this tomorrow." She stated merrily as she got up from behind her desk and skipped over to Rosalie and me who were getting up from the sofa.

"See you later!" We all called to Keith who was finishing off some e-mails before he clocked off.

Alice headed back with Rosalie while I headed for home. I took a long shower and came back down stairs in my sweats and comfy hoodie. I called Jake, to see how he and Leah were, but hung up exited at the news that he was coming over straight away. After ordering two large pizzas, I sat myself in front of the TV, ready for a DVD marathon.

"Look what I intercepted at the door!" Jacob called as he kicked the front door shut after him and came to sit beside me. In his hands were the two pizzas that I ordered, steaming hot.

After refusing to let me pay him back for having paid the delivery kid, Jacob and I relaxed and ate the pizzas. I ate half of one while Jacob wolfed down the other one and a half and still grumbled that he wasn't full. After making a spilling bowl of popcorn, we sat down in front of the TV once again and chilled out like old times.

"This is nice…" I whispered before I chucked a handful of popcorn into my mouth and settled myself back against Jacob's slab of an arm.

"Yeah…this might be our last chill out night for a few years!" he laughed weakly before he added, "When baby girl arrives I wont have any spare time to piss about with you…" I leant back from him and gave his arm a playful smack, which I doubted that he even felt.

"She can come and stay with me if she wants, I wont need you anymore anyway once she gets here!" I laughed back, crossing my arms over my chest defiantly.

"Already seems like you don't need me…" he muttered back, hitting me full force with his puppy dog eyes and a pathetic pout.

"Of course I need you Jake, you're my big bad wolf" I grinned as he chuckled at my long standing nickname for him.

"You already said that baby girl's going to take my place, and what about Edward isn't he your new best friend?" he asked me and then added a fake sluggish sigh as he acted like a 5 year old.

"Yeah, he's my friend, but you're my big bad wolf, Emmett's big bear and Jasper's my buddy." I told him as I brandished the half empty bowl of popcorn under his nose, enticing him to eat because I was full, at bursting point.

Thankfully, he sat back, grinning as he began to shovel the popcorn in his mouth. "I'm glad that we all get on with Edward and that you do too." He commented as he gave me a happy smile. "So how exited are you to be Auntie Bella?"

"Don't! You're making me feel old already!" I joked as I shook my head in fake horror. "I cant wait….you do know that Alice is going to want to take her shopping and Rosalie's going to want to teach her about boys…" I told him with weary eyes as I warned him in advance.

He shocked me as he shrugged his shoulders, but we both laughed after he announced, "I don't care, as long as you teach her how to cook…"

A little while later, Jacobs cell rang, startling us as we watched some poorly made, cheesy horror film. "Thanks Sam, I'll be back as soon as I can…" he murmured into the phone as he moved the bowl of popcorn from his lap to the coffee table in front of us. He hung up after a few more words and saying goodbye. "I've got to go, Sam and Emily are at our house visiting Leah, but apparently she's just crashed out asleep on the sofa, so I'm going to need to haul her up to bed." He explained as he got up.

"She's alright though?" I asked, a little nervous at the thought of her 'crashing out' as he described it.

"Ohhh yeah, she's fine. She just gets tired so easy these days, worrying about having everything packed for when the baby comes and that the nursery gets finished." He explained as I walked with him to the door.

"Give Leah my love, and baby girl!" I added with a grin on my face which matched Jacob's exited one.

"See you soon Bells…" He said to me before he leant down and kissed my cheek. I waved him off as he drove away, and then went back inside and cleared the mess before heading for bed. I smiled as I entered my bedroom, smelling the familiar scent of the freesias that Edward got me and that I woke up to this morning.

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Some randomness in there, but a bit of oooo-ahhhh drama as well. Gota love protective Edward!! (sighs dreamily)

Keep reading, and click that little button at the bottom left…leave a review… 8P


	5. Store Spat

_**Stephenie Meyer - A God? Apparently not…but she created the Twilight Universe.**_

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_To answer someone's question--I've left Edward and Bella's names in article because what's the chance of either of them reading Vogue in the little town of Forks? Plus, I'm just making it easier on myself and you by not adding four pseudonyms into the 'article' and making it harder to write and read._

The chapters song is…'Jumper' by Bedlight For Blue Eyes.

**R****osalie POV.**

**Day 3.**

_Readers, readers, readers. Pixie Cupid and I are seriously excited about this project of ours. You will, of course need to read on to see why._

_Today, obviously being the third day, Bella headed over to Edwards house as per usual, and was met with an unlocked door. Yes! He left the door open for her! Why doesn't he just give her her own key to the house! Okay…a little drastic, but back to the story. After getting into the house, they talked for two hours straight about each others family and friends, only stopping at lunch time where Edward cooked lunch. That answered our question from yesterday. Yes, he seems to be Mr Perfect because he can cook as well! _

_After lunch, Bella goes and does her thing while Edward washes up!!(Sexy Cupid swoons, and then gets back to work) Some time later, Bella goes to change a light bulb in Edward's bathroom after having turned off the main electricity to the house. (We won't start with the 'how many people does it take to change a light bulb' jokes)_

_While in the dark, Bella miraculously balances on two solid surfaces, but then Edward comes to the door and shouts her name. Picture the scene folks! Bella, reaching a light bulb for the socket, a small dark bathroom, Edward, panicked and blocking out any day light from the doorway…you can picture it? Good. _

_Bella inevitably slips and falls into Edwards encircling arms, held tightly to his strong chest which we Cupids have had the pleasure of previously feeling!! In the dark, all quiet after the smash of the light bulb, Bella stares into Edwards captivating green eyes, but they unfortunately brake away from the intensity. _

_After a light joke and Bella popping her lid at Edward for scaring her, Bella goes to walk towards him, forgetting the glass on the floor. Thankfully, protective Edward emerges once again and pushed Bella back, against a counter, pressing up against her. (Whoa…I need a fan…it's getting hot in here!!) _

_After a few moments…wait for it! He picks Bella up…BRIDAL STYLE and carries her to his bedroom. Now…I'm going to stop right there for a moment. Am I the only one, or does this seem like they could hopefully be playing out the future? The bridal style hold Edward had Bella in, carrying her to his bedroom!! _

_Let us hope for the best and that the next seven days go just as dramatically as day 3._

"Whoa…that sounds pretty intense!" Keith commented before he shoved another biscuit into his mouth.

"We know!" I declared happily as I relaxed back into the sofa while Alice gave us a giggling bow as we clapped her for her reading performance.

"I wonder what those two will get up to today?" Keith pondered before he gave his head a small shake and vacated the room to get back to work.

**Edward POV.**

I glanced back down at my watch for the third time. 10:07 am. I ran a hand through my hair, urging myself to calm down. She was only seven minutes late, nothing would have happened to her, she was probably just running a little late that was all, I reassured myself, and then contradicted as I remembered that she'd never been late before, she was usually here by 10am or even before.

Just as I was reaching for my cell in the back pocket of my jeans to call her, I heard a familiar, almost comforting sound. Bella's truck roaring from somewhere around the corner.

I settled back against my Vanquish and decided to wait there for her until she reached Rosalie and Jaspers house. 10.09am, Bella pulled up and made her way over to me. I stood silent, watching her as she buttoned up her long, fitted, bottle green coat and then reached her arms around to pull her hair out of the back. Quickly, I averted my eyes as they traitorously got drawn to Bella's bust where her coat strained from her reaching her arms back.

"Hey there, sorry I'm late" Bella greeted me as she shoved her hand into the pockets of her coat.

"Don't worry about it." I answered her while my eyes shot to look at her hair which I hadn't seen let down before. It was slightly wavy and whipping around due to the autumn wind.

"Thanks" Bella smiled at me, blushing slightly. I froze, but then smiled back awkwardly as I got back to my senses and realised that I'd just reached over to her and tucked a strand of her soft brown hair behind her ear.

I quickly dropped my hand from her face where it had been hesitating and then cleared my throat. "I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to see my store today?" I asked as I fished for my car keys from my coat pocket, tearing my gaze from her, to the ground.

"Sure, lets go" she declared light heartedly as she walked to the passenger side of the car and waited patiently. I opened the car and slid in, turning the heater up immediately, not wanting Bella to be cold. As I drove towards the centre of the small town, I turned the heaters to face her as she continued to rub her hands in an attempt to warm them up.

"Edward, aren't you cold?" she questioned me while she turned in her seat a little, to better look at me.

"Nope, I'm fine…" I lied, giving her what I hoped to be a reassuring smile before I turned my attention back to the road. She seemed content of my answer and drew her attention to the heaters, holding her hands up close to them while my mind ran ragged, asking myself why I lied to her and why I seemed to be so obsessed with keeping her warm.

A few minutes later, the car was nice and toasty and I was pulling up in front of my new, empty store. "Ta-Da" I mumbled as I unbuckled and got out of the car. Bella followed suit and gazed at my store while I locked at the car. I waited patiently, for some reason nervous at what her reaction to the store would be.

"This is it?" she asked me with an arched brow as she cocked her head to the side, indicating to my store.

"Yeah…" I answered weakly, looking down at the floor as I went to unlock the front door.

A squeal behind me caused me to turn around in surprise. My heart seemed to swell as I looked back to Bella who had her hands clasped over her mouth as she looked over my store, with sparkling eyes. "Edward, this is going to be so cool! I can see it now…all the school kids will come here, especially the ones that will work in Newton's and the other stores around here" she paused to point at a store a few doors down and then continued, "The kids will get their wages from work and come over here and blow it all on CD's and books!" she gushed as she began to walk slowly towards me.

I turned my attention back to the door and opened it. Bella and I both stepped into the abandoned place which was covered with a sheaf of dust. "So where will everything go?" she asked me eagerly after doing a full 360 spin to see the whole place.

Catching onto her eagerness, I answered her. "The check out counter will go here…" I began as I pointed to the right side of the doorway, beside the big front window. Pointing to the left side of the doorway, opposite where we were now stood I explained, "That's where I'm going to put the sofa's and the book shelves, so people can sit in the window and read a little, or parents can sit and wait for their kids while they're looking for CD's or something…" I explained, imagining it all in my mind.

"This is so cool…" Bella began as she began to walk towards the back of the store. I flicked the light switch beside me for some additional light to the light from the windows, but got nothing.

I smiled to myself as I remembered yesterday's fiasco with the light bulb in the bathroom and the feeling of Bella pressed up against me, how I couldn't seem to tare away my gaze from her brown pools that were her eyes, how I instinctively itched to be close to her in the darkness and the protectiveness that I felt over her.

"You're going to need to get a restraining order on me you know!" Bella laughed from down the bottom end of the store where she was peering into the store room.

"I'll keep that in mind!" I called back as I lent against the big front window, looking out at the other shops, the people walking by and at the rain which was stealthily falling by now.

"This place needs a lot of work, but I'm sure that it'll look great by the time it's done…" Bella's reassuring voice came from behind me, advancing steadily.

"Yeah, a coat of paint and some furniture…" I said before I turned to look at her. "Are you ready to venture into the world of paint shopping?" I asked.

"Sure, why not" she shrugged as she spoke while walking out of the front door. "It'll be another thing off of my list of things to do before I die…" she laughed as I locked the door.

I laughed with her and then turned and frowned at the rain that was pelting down all around us. I pressed back into the door a little, keeping dry under the doorway, dreading getting drenched in the downpour.

"Come on!" Bella called with determination in her face and voice as she grabbed hold of my hand and pulled me after her as she ran towards my car, with her free hand over her head in the vain attempt of keeping her hair dry. As we ran, I gripped to her soaking hand tighter and pulled out my car key ready. Once we reached the car, I quickly zapped it open and the both of us clambered in.

"Wooow!! That was fun!" She laughed from beside me, rain pouring from her face, coat, hair, everywhere as it was doing with me.

I gave her a puzzled look, but doubted that she saw it as she went about, turning the heaters to face the both of us equally as I started up the car.

Within a few minutes, we were parked in front of the paint store and the rain had thankfully eased, leaving us to run through a light drizzle. "Ready?" Bella asked me eagerly as she began to slowly open the car door.

"To get even more wet? Sure!" I answered, shaking my head in disbelief at her weird excitement.

"You will have to hold my hand though…I don't know how I made it last time without falling flat on my face…" she murmured with a speculative look on her face.

"Come on then" I sighed before I got out of the car, locking it behind Bella as she got out and began to run toward the front door of the store. I quickly caught up with her and laced my hand in with her as we ran through the light rain and slicing wind.

"We made it!" Bella laughed, throwing her arms above her head, along with our joined hands. I smiled down at her, wondering what she had had for breakfast to be so giddy and enthusiastic today, not that I was complaining. She seemed carefree today.

"Shall I leave you here to run around in the rain?" I asked her, a smile playing at my lips as she lowered her hands, and mine at the same time, but not letting go.

I laughed out loud as Bella gave me a pained considering look as she glanced from the rain to the paint store. "It's a tough one, but I think that I'd better come with you to the paint store…" she answered with a weary sigh, letting go of our joined hands and leading the way.

Chuckling to myself, I followed her into the store and took out the colour charts from my coat pocket. I grabbed a trolley from inside the door and followed Bella who was a small distance ahead of me, whizzing around the isle like a kid as she jumped from blue tile, to blue tile on the ground, making sure that she didn't step of the white ones.

"Bella…what are you doing?" I asked her as I leant over the back of the trolley, following her at a distance.

"You know the rhyme don't you?" she asked me as she span on the spot, balancing on one leg before she planted the other on an adjacent blue tile. I shrugged my shoulders in response, shaking my head 'no'. Bella carried on regardless in a sing-song voice, "Don't step on the crack, or you'll fall and break your back…" she recited as she wobbled on one leg and then pranced to the next tile.

A family with young children drew up beside me while Bella sang her song. "I don't know her…" I joked at the little kids who were watching Bella with a mixture of awe and admiration on their faces.

"Would you tell her thank you from me?" The children's mother asked softly moments later as she walked beside me, watching her kids laughing and imitating Bella, crashing into each other as they all fought for blue tiles and tried to avoid the 'cracks' in the floor.

"Sure…" I said a little unsure as to why she was so grateful.

She answered me anyway without having to ask. "I usually have to bribe them with tonnes of candy to keep them behaved while I shop, but now I wont have to!" she laughed before she called to her kids to remember to stay on the isle that she was in so she could keep an eye on them.

"I'll tell her…" I told her with a smile before I pushed my trolley forward; picking up a tin or two of paint and passing the woman's giggling kids.

"Shoot…" I heard Bella mutter gruffly from somewhere near by. I turned a corner and found her leant over, rubbing her knee.

"Are you alright?" I asked, feeling a little apprehensive. She jerked her head up and looked to me, giving me a small smile as she nodded her head.

"Banged it against that shelf" she told me as she inclined her head to her side.

"Come here…" I beckoned her to me, holding my arm out to give her a hug. She took a small step towards me before she gasped in pain and stopped, tears welling in her eyes. My intention of having her lean on the trolley for support as she walked was diminished there and then. "I'll be back in a second" I told her quickly before I darted to another isle and spoke quickly with a member of staff.

I returned to find Bella with her trouser leg rolled up as she studied the damage. I frowned at the sight of the ugly red mark which had a clear tinge of blue mixed in. She gave me a weak smile as she rolled her trouser leg back down, wincing at the slight pressure from the material.

"That's going to hurt in the morning…" she laughed weakly as she limped awkwardly towards me.

I quickened my pace and immediately picked her up into my arms. "What am I going to do with you?" I sighed; shaking my head in mock disapproval as I gently put her down, inside the trolley.

"Edward! I can't be in here, get me out!" she hissed at me as she tried to get out, hitting her knee in the process. "Owww…." She wailed as she sat back down and banged her hands on the sides of the trolley to vent the pain.

"Bella, trust me, I asked a member of staff and they said that it would be fine if you sat in there" I reassured her as I set my hands on her shoulders and gave them a squeeze.

"If you say so…" she whispered back at me, before she demanded that she held the colour charts while I pushed her around. "What do we need first?" she asked me as I pushed the trolley slowly and she leafed through the chart sheets.

I lent down, closer so that I could better read the colour sheets. "How about 'Blood Red for the dining room?" I asked before I straightened back up and pushed us towards the red isle.

"Yeah…sure" she answered a few seconds later, seemingly oblivious to what I had just said. I wondered how much her knee was hurting her. Was it that distracting? I hoped that she wasn't putting up a strong front just to please me by getting the paint shopping done.

"Are you alright Bella?" I asked as I halted the trolley and leant down once again towards her.

"Yeah, I guess it's just the shock or something" she laughed weakly before she shuffled the charts in front of her. I straightened back up and grabbed that tin of blood red paint and set it in the trolley, a safe distance from Bella's knee.

Once we were all done, I wheeled us to the checkout. "Edward, you can let me out now!" Bella hissed as she realised where we were headed. "Edward! Let me out!" she practically growled as she tried to get out while I advanced to the checkout counter with one hand on her shoulder keeping her in place.

"You'll pay for this." She hissed, causing me to outright laugh in her face. I couldn't help it, she looked adorable in there and I didn't want her using that knee more than she had to.

"Ohhh dear, what happened here?" The elderly woman at the checkout asked as she surveyed a pouting Bella while she scanned the tins at the same time.

"She hit her knee real badly; show her your bruise…" I urged Bella, knowing that it would wind her up, but she looked even more adorable as she pouted. She shocked me as she rolled her eyes and rolled up her trouser leg, showing the angry, swelling bruise.

The woman behind the counter gave a low whistle before she shook her head muttering, "That's a beauty!" The woman then looked potently from Bella to me and then back at Bella as she said, "It's a good thing that you've got such a strong young man to carry you around!" Before either of us could correct her, the woman rang up the total and prattled on about her husband.

Once I paid, I pushed Bella who was still in the trolley, out of the store. I just heard the old woman sighing "What a gorgeous couple" From the blush that I could just see on Bella's cheeks, I realised that she'd heard the woman too.

After loading all of the tins into the car, I turned back to Bella who was glaring at me with her arms crossed across her chest, a face like thunder. "Bella…come on…I'm sorry that I embarrassed you in there…" I told her, trying to coax her out of her black mood.

"Fine…" she snapped back as she uncrossed her arms and made to get out of the trolley.

I quickly shot forward and scooped her easily into my arms, holding her tightly against me, a prisoner in my arms as I asked, "Does that mean that I'm forgiven?" I didn't dare smile at her just in case that pissed her off even more.

"Nope…" she answered curtly, avoiding my gaze.

I bit my lip as I decided what to do next. She was pissed at me for embarrassing her; any simpleton would work that much out. "I'll put you down if you forgive me…" I bargained, squeezing her body a little tighter to me for emphasis.

She outright laughed as she looked up to me in disbelief. "Yeah right, your arms would give out within a minute or two" she stated confidently, before throwing a smug look at me.

"Try me." I stated simply, yet confidently. If she thought that my arms would tire out within a minute or two of holding her lithe body in my arms, she had another thing coming.

"I…ohhh fine, just put me down, you're forgiven" she gushed out before giving a weary sigh.

I walked to the passenger side of the car and managed to open the door and sit her down. "I'm just going to take the trolley back…" I told her before I closed the door and walked away. Once the deed was done, I headed back to the car and opened my door. But it didn't open. I frowned, annoyed at how stupid I had been. I looked through the tinted window and just managed to see Bella smirking back at me.

"Bella…open up please, I told you that I was sorry!" I pleaded as I knocked lightly at the window to get her attention.

At the sound of the door clicking open, I wrenched the door open before she got the chance got change her mind. "I didn't know that you were so stubborn!" I sighed as I buckled up and started the car.

"I didn't know you were either!" she whined back at me and then continued, "All I wanted to do was get out, but ohhh no, you wouldn't have that would you! You had to embarrass me!" she finished, a smile playing at her lips and clear in her voice.

"It was kind of funny though…" I nudged her arm as I drove, causing her laughter to spill forth.

"But I felt like a naughty kid or something!" she admitted as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Did you see those kids copying you with the tile jumping?" I asked her, feeling relieved that she was back in good spirits.

"Yeah, it looked like they were enjoying it, you should have joined in Edward" she told me.

"Maybe…" I chuckled, remembering the funny looks that she seemed oblivious to have been receiving at the time.

Once we arrived back at my house, Bella hobbled into the house, adamant that she didn't need any help while I brought in the tins of paint. By the time that I'd bought in the final load of tins, Bella had just made it to the kitchen and had sat herself down.

I stood at the counter beside her while she answered her cell. "Hey Rose…yeah I'll come over later…I don't mind…a comedy or action…yeah I doubt that the guys would want to watch a drama…" As she spoke, I went to the freezer and pulled out a bag of peas. Wrapping the bag in a dishcloth, I made my way around to Bella and knelt down before her, pulling up her trouser leg as softly as I could before I planted the frozen peas on her swollen knee. "Ohhh my god Edward!" Bella gasped in shock, having probably only just turned her attention to me.

I chuckled as I heard Rosalie on the other end of the phone frantically asking her what I had done to her that was so good as to make her gasp my name like that.

"He smacked a bag of peas to my leg. See you later." Bella ended the conversation sharpish before she glared down at me. I remained where I was, even under extreme scrutiny, sat on my heels in front of her with one hand wrapped around her calf, holding her leg still, while the other hand held the bag of peas on her knee.

"You didn't have to do that" she snapped at me as she tried in vain to pry my hands from her leg, but I held tighter, showing her that I wasn't going anywhere.

"Yes I did…" I responded, not being able to suppress the smile that was pulling at my lips. "Have you seen your leg since we were at the store?" I asked as I gently pulled the bag of peas wrapped in the dishcloth away from her leg.

"Ohhh god! Put it back, put it back!" she whined as she covered her eyes with one hand and blindly reached her other hand to run over her colourfully bruised and swollen knee.

Taking hold of her blind hand, I advised, "I wouldn't do that if I were you…" I gently eased the bad of peas back on her knee while I still held her hand in mine.

I felt her hand squeeze mine as she whispered, "Thank you" I looked back up to her face to see that she had lowered her other hand and was now smiling down at me gratefully.

The house phone ringed a few moments later. Regrettably, I got up, handing Bella the responsibility of keeping her knee iced and severed our joined hands to go and answer the phone. After a quick chat with my mother, I hung up to find Bella moving her leg around to test her knee.

"I think it looks a little better…" she told me as she gave her knee a slight turn, wincing from the pain.

"If you say so…" I muttered under my breath, smiling at her hopefulness.

**Bella POV.**

"I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm really really bored!" I chanted as I threw my head back against the sofa, sighing in defeat.

"Well you shouldn't have gone and bust up your knee like that!" Emmett chastised me, waving a hand at my knee before he turned his attention back to the TV.

Since I hobbled back to Rosalie and Jaspers house, and showed everyone my knee, Jasper insisted on carrying me everywhere, while Emmett point blank refused to even look at my leg. Being a sports teacher, I thought that he'd have seen his fair share of bruises by now, or he was just a wimp.

"Doorbell!" Rosalie called from down stairs as she and Alice continued the cooking of tonight's dinner which was simply burgers and fries. I had been confined to the living room, left in Emmett and Jaspers care as if I had broken my knee rather than just bruised it.

Jasper immediately called out to the house that he had it and scooped me into his arms, carrying me carefully down stairs bridal style. "Jasper, put me down you little…" I growled as I struggled to get out of his hold on me.

"Temper, temper!" he chuckled as he reached the door and somehow managed to open it. I gave a chuckling Edwards a quick wave before I secured my arms back around Jaspers neck.

"Jasper! I need you in here!" Alice called from the kitchen.

"Here" Jasper muttered over my head to Edward seconds before I was transferred into his arms. I grasped tightly around Edwards neck for support as we watched Jasper waltz away into the kitchen.

"Put me down please!" I pleaded to Edward who held me close to him as he kicked the front door shut behind him and made his way to the stairs.

"Sorry, no can do, I know how bad your knee looks." He answered before he quickly popped his head into the kitchen to greet Alice and Rosalie and then carried me back up stairs to the living room where Emmett was.

After looking up and seeing the both of us, Emmett scooted over to make some room for us all to sit. "She's going to forget how to walk, I swear!" Emmett sighed in mocked disapproval as he watched Edward set me down softly between the two of them.

"Dinner!" Jasper called from the bottom of the stairs moments later, causing me to cross my arms and legs together tightly in a display of stubbornness.

"You're not carrying me down…" I muttered as I looked from Edward to Emmett.

"That's what you think" Emmett laughed before he reached down and threw me over his shoulder, holding me securely with one arm while his other hand held onto the leg that I'd knocked, keeping it from hitting anything in my struggle.

"I'm sure that you would have put up a good fight Bells, but you can't win with me" Emmett declared confidently as he reached the bottom of the stairs and walked into the kitchen. I had given up my protest until I felt Rosalie smack my arse.

"Rose!" I fake sobbed, causing Emmett to have mercy on me and let me down.

Once dinner was all finished, the guys had washed the dishes while we girls set up the living room with piles of blankets and got the DVD ready. As we sorted out the room, I ran through the details of my day with Edward, from him tucking a few strands of hair behind my ear in the morning, him breathing in my ear, making me loose my train of thought as he leant over my shoulder in the paint store, us having out little spat out in the car park and finally a detailed explanation of what actually happened when I gasped Edwards name while I was on the phone to Rosalie.

"Really? A bag of peas?" I nodded my head, once again in the affirmative. "I honestly blushed when I heard you! I thought I might have been interrupting something!" she laughed and then gave a fake horrified shudder.

A short while later, the guys ascended the stairs and joined us in the living room. "What did you get Rose?" Emmett asked, referring to the DVD as he lay along one of the sofa's, patting the space in front of him where Rosalie was to lie.

"Jumper" she responded as she lay in her designated spot, before Emmett reached back and pulled a blanket over the both of them, snuggling up to Rosalie.

After Alice turned off the lights, she and Jasper lazed together on another sofa, while Edward and I sat on the floor, heavily cushioned by the tens of pillows that we'd set on the floor. Edward leant back against the lower end of the sofa where Rosalie and Emmett were lying as to not block their view of the TV.

Once I grabbed the remote controls, I shuffled back over to sit beside Edward. "How's the knee?" he whispered with humour in his voice, but genuine curiosity in his eyes.

"I don't know…I think that the swellings gone down, but I'm not too sure…" I told him as I pulled a blanket around my shoulders.

I gasped as I felt Edwards hand push up my trouser leg in the darkness and then place his hand gently on my knee. "Sorry…did I hurt you?" he asked, with a worried expression on his face.

"No…it doesn't really hurt that much anymore, only when I hit it against something…" I whispered back as I felt his hand gently roam over my knee.

"The swellings gone down…it doesn't feel as big as it was this afternoon" he told me as his hand stilled and his eyes locked on the TV.

"Cool…" I whispered before I also turned my attention back to the TV.

As the film ran, I wondered if Edward was even aware that he still had his hand settled softly on my knee. Even when Alice walked by us, he didn't move his hand as I thought he would, it remained there. Occasionally I would feel his hand move as he gently rubbed my knee, before he settled his hand once again.

Only when the film was done did he move his hand away after I jarred it as I stretched. "I better head back home" he announced to us all as he got up after Jasper had turned the lights back on.

"I'll see you tomorrow" I told him with a smile before I rolled my trouser leg back down and headed for my own bedroom across the room.

"Night guys!" I called over my shoulder as I stepped into my room which had just as much clothes in the closet as I had in my real house, thanks to Alice.

**

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Things are picking up! As a kid (and still now) I play the tile jumping game! Its so fun!...can get kind of obsessive at times though and you tend to get funny looks and walk into people...a lot…

**P.S. ****If anyone else out there has seen 'Jumper' you will understand how me and my sister burst out laughing when Hayden Christensen (Stephenie Meyers dream Edward actor) meets his sister (Kirsten Stewart) Good thing that I wasn't holding any popcorn or I would have dropped it! 'Edward' and 'Bella' in the same film!! (sigh)**

**Reviews are always welcome (and well loved) in Love Thy Neighbour land!!**


	6. Baby Girl

_**Stephenie Meyer - A God? Apparently not…but she created the Twilight Universe.**_

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The chapter's song is...'Mercy' by Duffy. If you haven't heard of her by now…then poor you! I love her music especially Mercy and Rockferry, she's got a really different voice-in a good way…plus…she's Welsh!

**Rosalie POV.**

I had just finished reading over the article about yesterday to Alice, Keith and his girlfriend Teegan who we'd allowed in to join us because it was Keith's birthday and she'd made an effort to get a day off work to trek over here to see him.

"Read it one more time…" Keith demanded from the sofa where he was splayed languidly, with his head on Teegan's lap who was feeding him chocolates.

"Sir, yes, sir!" I laughed before I began to read the article one more time for his majesty's pleasure.

_**Day 4.**_

_They say a picture speaks a thousand words, so why don't I use my words to paint you a picture of Edward and Bella's fourth day._

_Bella arrives at Edward's house to find him leaning against his Vanquish (I promise to stop with the obsessive outbursts about the sexy car…whoops…there I go again…) anyway, can you all picture a hunky Edward…?(okay, I know you can't because you don't know what he looks like, but work with me here people!) so…hunky Edward is leant against the Vanquish, and then Bella walks up and they start talking, but wait! What is this? Edward reaches out and randomly tucks a strand of Bella's flying hair behind her ear. And we thought that they only did that in the films! Well think again!_

_After that little moment, they head for Edwards new store, which as far as we sneaky Cupids know-Edward hasn't showed anyone else yet. A quick dash through the rain and they end up in a paint store. _

_Bella…being Bella ends up bashing her knee after having been jumping floor tiles which she's usually quite skilled at. Cue the 'Awwww's ladies! Edward see's Bella's bruise, which is mighty and then scuttles off for a few moments, only to return and scoop Bella into his strong arms and place her softly into the trolley. Okay…you can 'Awwww' now. This guy seems to have Bella's best interest at heart! Pixie Cupid and I hope that it wasn't just the romantic atmosphere of the paint shop that brought on this side of him with the tins of 'romantic red' or 'pink love' scattered around them._

_A little bit of interesting inside information for you now readers! As Edward leant down to read over Bella's shoulder - she actually admitted that she got a little flustered and got delayed in answering his question. Tongue tied! A common reaction for people who fancy a person, that's a cert!_

_Obviously, though we hate to admit this, but it seems that you don't have to be a Cupid to see that Edwards and Bella are meant to be. The woman at the checkout counter was heard to say the words 'cute couple' as they left the store._

_After a lovers spat in the car park, they made it back to Edwards house. I, Sexy Cupid heard Bella gasping Edwards name as I spoke to her on the phone. Now, I'm not one to blush, but I did when I heard that! Apparently it was brought on by Edward placing a bag of peas on her swollen knee, but I still have my doubts!_

_Finally, we as a group had a DVD night where Bella was practically carried around the house the whole time due to the kindness of the men. Pixie Cupid and I almost melted when we witnessed the sight of Edward carrying Bella, bridal style from the doorway, up the stairs. I could have kissed my brother for fobbing Bella off on Edward, but thankfully Pixie Cupid took matters into her own hands and kissed her beloved enough for the both of us._

_During the film, interestingly enough, Edward had his hand on Bella's knee the whole time, __even when we tested him out with sending Pixie Cupid to the bathroom. We seriously doubt that he even knew that he was doing it!_

_From the day's event, we can see that the signs are accumulating in the couple's favor. Hopefully all of this will snowball into love!_

"There" I declared as I slapped the article back down on my desk beside me. After a small, yet encouraging round of applause from the tiny audience, I directed my gaze on Keith and ordered, "Now get me my coffee minion!"

**Edward POV**

After pacing wildly for a good twenty minutes, I sighed a breath of relief as I heard the sound of Bella's truck pulling into next door's drive. I opened the front door of my house for her before she even reached the steps to my door.

Holding up her hands to me in surrender, she laughed, "Sorry I'm late, but this knee was a bugger when I got up this morning!" She made her way up the three steps only slightly slower than usual and then pushed past me to get inside the house.

I had to smile at how Bella seemed to be just as much at home here as she seemed to be over at Jasper and Rosalie's place, which was fine with me.

"What's the plan of action today captain?" Bella asked from the living room where she stood with her hands on her hips, looking eager to do some work.

"Ripping out the carpets and getting most of the furniture covered ready for the painters that are coming in tomorrow." I answered as I rolled up my sleeves and advanced towards her.

"Oooo some destruction! Let's get started!" she called eagerly as she made her way up stairs. I followed soon enough and found her in the first guest bedroom, on her hands and knees in the corner of the room, trying to pry the carpet up.

"Bella…" I began, wondering what she was up to. She looked back to me, showing me that I had her attention. "Don't you think that we should get the furniture out of here first before we try to get the carpet out?" I asked as I indicated to a big wooden table and some other bits and bobs.

"Good thinking Batman" she grinned at me as she got up from the floor, groaning a little at the pain in her knee.

"Bella, you don't have to do this if your knee is hurting you." I told her, not liking the flashes of pain that I saw crossing her face every now and again.

"I'm fine Edward, better to keep it moving." She told me decisively before she came to stand beside me, ready to move some furniture.

A few hours later, after having cleared the carpet from the hallway, and moved the furniture out of our way, we managed to get most of the upstairs carpets out of the house, to the front lawn where they would wait until I could have them taken away.

We were maneuvering our last rolled up carpet down the stairs when Bella got the call.

"Wow nelly!" Bella laughed as she halted halfway down the stairs, holding the rolled up carpet steady with one hand while she fished out her cell from her jeans pocket. With a triumphant grin, she flipped her phone open and held it to her ear. "Hello…" she began while I stood at the bottom of the stairs, panting from the exertion of hauling down the heavy carpet.

"Ohhh my god…" her frantic gasp drew my attention back up to her immediately. I stood confused for a few seconds, trying to work out how she could sound so worried, yet look so exited at the same time. She answered the question running in my mind as she gushed out excitedly, "Has she had the baby? Is Leah okay?"

After some more frantic questions and excited squeals, Bella finished the phone call with a rushed, "Okay, I'll call Alice, Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett, don't panic daddy-o!" With that, she snapped the phone shut and slipped it back into her pocket as she looked down at me, glowing with happiness, "Baby girl's coming!" she laughed before she began to hazardly clamber her way down.

I could visualize her tripping and breaking her neck, so I called to her, begging her to stop and just jump into my arms. "Bella please, it'll be safer and faster, please…" I begged as I watched her regain her balance after having just lost her footing.

"Okay, okay…just catch me okay…" she bargained as she braced herself, judging the distance between us I supposed.

I held my arms open and readied myself for her jump. I stood with my legs parted to better cope with the impact and then I ordered her to jump.

I thought that her jumping into my arms would go in slow motion, it didn't. I practically missed the whole of her jump as I blinked, but caught sight of her as she got close to me. Instinctively, I screwed my eyes shut, ready for the impact, and then opened them in shock as she hit me, full force.

I encircled my arms around her waist, maybe a little too tight as I felt myself fall back. She clawed her arms around my neck, burying her head against my shoulder as she fell with me.

Within a matter of seconds, the whole jump was completed. My labored breathing matched Bella's which I could clearly feel because she was laid on top of me, her chest moving rapidly against mine. Her ragged breath also fanned across my face as her head was poised mere inches above mine. After a few seconds and having realized what the caress of air across my face was, I opened my eyes to see her face.

I marveled at how close her eyes were to me and how clearly I could read her through those orbs. I could see the shock and exhilaration and something else that made my heart rate speed up erratically.

My eyes darted to her lips, which were so close as I felt her fingers running softly in my hair at the back of my head. I tore my eyes away as she bit her lower lip, realizing that I had been staring. I looked back into her eyes to see confusion which I was clearly feeling and passion, which I knew that I was definitely feeling.

I could feel her breathing faster as her eyes seemed to question me. Closing my arms around her waist even tighter seemed to answer her question as I watched her eyes fix on my lips. My breath caught in my throat as I realized that her head was slowly inching downwards, closer to mine and that her eyes were slowly closing as were mine.

"_I don't know what this is  
cos you got me good  
just like you knew you would_

_I don't know what you do  
but you do it well  
I'm under your spell"_

Duffy's voice rang around the room, breaking Bella and myself from the little world that we were in. She clambered off of me, blushing scarlet as she roughly pulled her cell from her pocket, turning her back on me as she answered it with a gruff, "What?"

I got up and tried my best to compose myself as I went to the kitchen to grab my car keys. "Yes I know, Jake called me, how did you find out?" I could hear Bella talking in the other room as I grasped my hands on the kitchen counter, frantically trying to work out what had just happened back there. Well…I knew what was about to happen, but how? I couldn't work out how the strong pull of passion that I felt for her could have come on so quickly, only after knowing her for five days.

"Sure, sure, see you there!" Bella called from the other room before she called my name. "I'm going to the hospital now…do you want to come?" she asked the last bit softly as she shrugged her coat on at the front door.

"I think I better drive you there at least." I told her as I stepped up beside her and opened the front door.

"I can drive…" she protested as she stepped out of the house, looking at me in confusion and slight aggravation.

She obviously hadn't noticed that her hands were shaking. After pointing that little fact out to her, she gracefully accepted my offer of driving her to the hospital after she demanded that I come in and congratulate Jake, seeing as we were now all friends.

I drove, not uttering a word as my mind rallied with thoughts. I wondered how we could be together, now in this car, in an utterly comfortable silence after we almost kissed only a few moments ago. As I reached the hospital, I decided to let that thought drop and concentrate on finding a parking space.

After circling the parking area once, I found a space thankfully near the main entrance. "Quick, quick, quick…" Bella chanted as I parked, already unbuckling herself before I had even finished parking properly. She was then out of the car and sprinting towards the main doors before I had shut off the engine. As quickly as I could, I followed her and caught up with her just before she reached the reception desk.

"I need a doctor!" Bella called out frantically as she bounced excitedly on her feet, while her eyes darted wildly over the boards on the wall which guided people on which wards were on which floors.

"She doesn't…" I reassured a panicked receptionist before I leant forward and asked her for the directions to the maternity ward. After telling me that it was on the third floor, she asked me who exactly I was looking for. After giving her Leah and Jacob's name, she told me the exact room number. I thanked her profusely before I turned back to Bella who was still reading the board.

"Okay…I think we need to go to level seven…" she told me before she grabbed my hand blindly and began to drag me towards the elevator.

I stopped dead in my tracks, causing Bella to turn and glare at me. Before she could utter a word, I pulled my hand from hers and set them on her shoulders, willing her to listen to me. "No we don't, we need to got to level three and go to room 333"

"I…how…okay…" she stuttered before she nodded and jumped into the vacant elevator, pressing button '3' frantically.

"Pressing it like that won't make it go any faster…" I told her smugly as I leant back with my arms crossed.

"I know that…" Bella responded, turning her back on the button panel, smiling sweetly at me. I rolled my eyes and chuckled as I realized that she was still pressing the button behind her back.

Bella slipped through the crack in the doors as they began to open on level three and then sprinted down the hall to room 333. I caught up with her swiftly enough as she halted, a short distance away from the door with a horrified expression on her face.

"Bella? What's wrong?" I asked as I rubbed a hand across her back reassuringly.

"What if something happened to the baby? I've been so exited, I never thought about that…" she whispered as she turned to look at me with tears in her eyes.

Instinctively, I drew her against me, hugging her reassuringly as I whispered, "Everything's alright, you would have heard something by now…" I told her as I continued to rub her back slowly.

"You sure?" she asked as she lifted her head from my chest to look up at me. I gave my head a confident nod before I regrettably broke our embrace and pushed her toward the door.

I followed her as she inched open the door and peeked her head in. "Jake?" she whispered before she pushed the door wide open and pulled me into the room after her.

"Baby girl!" Bella gasped as her eyes locked on the little bundle that was in the mothers arms, who was evidently Leah. "What's her name?" She asked in a whisper as she dropped my hand and went to give Jacob a hug as he sat on the side of the bed.

"Freya" Leah told her in a whisper as she stared down at her baby. "Do you want to hold her?" She then asked, glancing at Bella who responded silently by sitting down in a nearby chair, grinning ear to ear.

I watched silently from the sidelines as Jacob scooped the little bundle from Leah and softly placed her into Bella's waiting arms. "Am I doing it right?" Bella asked in a panicked voice as she cradled Freya gently as if she were holding a thin piece of glass.

"You're doing great Bells…" Jacob responded, sitting back on the hospital bed beside his wife. "Sit" He ordered me with a friendly smile as he pointed to the vacant chair beside Bella.

"Thanks and congratulations" I told them both while I watched Bella cooing at the baby from the corner of my eye. Jacob explained to Leah who I was as Bella continued to inform a silent Freya that she was her auntie and that she was welcome at her house for a sleepover whenever she wanted.

"Awww look!" Bella exclaimed in awe as Freya latched her tiny hand around Bella's little finger. I looked over to Jacob who just smiled at me and rolled his eyes dramatically before he turned back to Leah and began to pepper her with soft, adoring kisses. Meanwhile, Bella was doing just the same with Freya now that she'd released her finger.

"Try it!" Bella encouraged me with bright eyes and an excited grin. I couldn't refuse the spark of enthusiasm in her eyes, so I leant over, bracing one arm on the back of her chair and let Freya grab my little finger.

"She's strong!" I commented to Jacob with a laugh as I wondered how that little baby could hold so much strength.

"It's their natural instinct to hold on…" Bella explained in a whisper as she softly ran the index finger of her free hand over Freya's and my captive little finger. I couldn't help it; I slowly turned my face to look at her, feeling slightly tranced by her whispered voice and close proximity.

She met my gaze but quickly dropped it, blushing slightly as the door flew open. A mixture of congratulations and excited squeals came from Alice and Rosalie as the hovered over Bella, Freya and Leah. Thankfully, Freya relinquished her hold on me and I managed to slip away to the other side of the room where Emmett, Jasper and Jacob had wisely retreated to.

I cut a quick glance behind me to see that Rosalie was taking her turn in holding the little baby which was swathed in the common pink blanket. After greeting Emmett and Jasper, Emmett announced in an unsure whisper, "It might be all the giddy vibes in this room, but is it weird that I love the look of Rose holding a baby?" he asked, frowning in consideration.

"You're not weird" Jasper reassured him with a pat to the back moments later as Alice was handed Freya across the room.

"You should see them when they get pregnant…" Jacob began with a smirk on his face as he crossed his arms before he continued after some prompting from Emmett and Jasper. "Sure, they get snappy and cry, order you about, kick you out of bed at stupid o'clock to go get them cookies from the store…" he listed, ticking them off his fingers, before he grinned and got back to the point, "But you should see it when they walk into a room, and their belly comes in first, it's so weird and it's sexy that they've got this massive bump where your baby's in…" he added, staring intently at his little girl.

"Dude don't…I'm going to be begging Rose to get a bun in the oven before the end of the week if you carry on" Emmett hissed as his eyes locked on Rosalie who was looking strait back at him, mouthing the words 'so cute' enthusiastically as she indicated to Freya.

I supposed that Emmett was trying to draw our shocked gazes form him as he turned to me, smirking as he commented, "You and Bella sure looked cozy when we came in…" he gave my side a small nudge as he spoke.

"Yeah, there were definite vibes…" Jacob added with an arched brow as he waited for my explanation.

I probably looked as confused as I felt from the way that Jasper, Jacob and Emmett all leant forward to hear me whisper, "I've only known her for five days, but we seem to click or something…" I quickly lowered my head as I remembered the kiss that we almost shared this afternoon.

"What did you leave out?" Jasper prodded confidently, somehow sure that I had.

Most men would feel intimidated by having three muscular guys beside them, all with their arms crossed, looking both interested, dangerous and wary about some information that I was about to give them, but I knew that they were cool and that there was no use in my lying to them, so I explained, "We almost kissed this afternoon…we were so close…" I paused to rub my forehead uncomfortably before I finished, "But then Alice called and interrupted…"

"That little pixie…" Emmett half growled before he began tutting.

"Hey, that little pix-Alice is my girlfriend…" Jasper defended, grinning along with Emmett none the less as he began to list the times that Alice had usually been spot on with her timing like when she earned the lot of them a wad of money when she made a quick decision about some stock market or something.

Some time later after an in-depth conversation about women and their shopping, Bella made her way over, looking a little more sober on the excitement than she had been. "Leah looks dead on her feet…if you know what I mean…" Bella commented to Jacob as she slipped an arm around his waist and hugged him.

"Your right…" Jacob replied after cutting his wife a quick glance. We all assured him that we would let Leah get some rest and made to leave.

**Bella POV.**

"What was going on with you and Edward when we came in?" Rosalie questioned now that we had all calmed down from our excited squeals. I held onto Freya's hand while Alice held her and gave my shoulders a small shrug of indifference, knowing that my growing blush was deceiving me. "Spill" Rosalie ordered with a no nonsense look on her face as she waited patiently.

"Well…I…" I stuttered before I sighed heavily and composed my scrambled mind and began again. "I jumped into Edwards arms, but we fell…don't roll your eyes like that!" I whined as Rosalie and Alice both did it in unison. After they sarcastically apologized, I continued "Anyway, he fell back and I fell, so I was on top of him and my face was really close to his…" my embarrassment soon turned to awe as I let myself recall the moment, "I could feel his heart beating under me just as fast as mine was going…and then he, I don't know…I looked at his lips and just had this really strong urge to find out how they would feel against mine, so when I felt his arms tighten around me, I just went for it and made to kiss him" I finished, looking back up to Alice and Rosalie.

"What do you mean, made to kiss him? Didn't you?" Alice asked, gob smacked.

"No I didn't, someone phoned at the very second that I was mere inches from his lips" I snapped back, glaring at Alice who had managed to somehow sink in her seat with a guilty expression on her face.

"My bad…" she laughed weakly while Rosalie condemned her.

"There's always tomorrow night!" Alice spoke up with a hopeful expression on her face.

I wondered what she was going on about, and then recalled the dinner that we were all going out for. "Ohhh sure, that's a great idea, I'll just jump him when I'm drunk on wine…" I grumbled, cutting a glance at Edward who was across the room talking with the other guys.

"Just make sure that you let us dress you up…" Alice began then paused to correct herself after I gave her one of my looks, "Right…let us help you dress up and then maybe you wont need to do the jumping, Edward will." She finished with a sly smile and a wink.

I wondered how they would be able to make me look good enough to pounce at, but then relaxed, knowing that they were experts at dressing me up after the years of 'Beatify Bella' that they had tormented me with. Even if Edward didn't end up kissing me, or if I chickened out, it didn't matter, I still valued his friendship because there seemed to be some sort of weird connection or spark between the two of us which I couldn't quite define.

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Don't hurt me!! I know…they _almost_ kissed…but I'm mean!! Mwahahahahaha!

**This chapter took so long to write! Gahh!! Writers block galore, but that's how I managed to get the Epilogue for All Aboard done, so all's good.**

**Please review…because I'm addicted to them, I don't have and Edward, so they're my brand of heroin!!**


	7. Shotgun

_**Stephenie Meyer - A God? Apparently not…but she created the Twilight Universe.**_

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Alice, Bella and Rosalie's dresses are on profile, go check them out if you want.

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The chapter's song is...'More than words' by Extreme. Absolutely** love** this song!! All time classic, reminds me of long drives in the car with my brothers, sister and mum where she would stick on the driving Ballads tape to shut us up and get us singing along with her…classic tune from the past!

**Alice POV.**

I was still kicking myself for having interrupted Edward and Bella's almost kiss yesterday, but I was oddly positive that they would kiss again before long, I had a feeling.

"What time is Bella expecting us over?" Rosalie asked from the bathroom where she was towel drying her hair in front of the mirror.

"Ten…that's when she's going over to Edwards" I told her as I glanced once more over the article that I had worked on most of last night, much to Jasper's dismay.

"Could you read the article out to me?" Rosalie asked as she plonked herself down next to me on her bed, brandishing a bottle of blood red nail varnish in one of her hands.

"Sure" I answered before I cleared my throat theatrically and began,

_**Day 5.**_

_We've hit the half-way milestone folks!!_

_After working together in harmony all afternoon, Bella gets an important phone call, informing her that one of her best friend's wife was in labour. At the moment of this groundbreaking call, Bella was poised halfway down a flight of stairs, her way blocked by a large rolled up carpet. Thankfully, our hero, Edward was at the bottom of the stairs, ready to catch the heroine after he ordered her to jump into his waiting arms._

_How romantic this all sounds, but inevitably, they fell. To be fair, Bella who has an uncanny knack for falling was involved and so down they went. The romantic moment lost is soon recovered as Bella is left lying on top of Edwards heaving chest which matches hers. Oooo…sexy!! _

_Can you all see it in your minds eye ladies? Imagine the combination of excitement, adrenaline, close contact to the person that you are sexually attracted to, a silent room filled with only the sounds of their breathing and the crackle of chemistry. We imagine that this scenario would be much like being locked in a room with a submissive Brad Pitt. Before we loose you to that train of thought, let us continue with the story,_

_Pressed together on the floor, breathless and not a word spoken between them, they thankfully give into temptation and go to kiss. Now…I Pixie Cupid must come clean. I foolishly called Bella at the very moment that they were about to kiss, thus, breaking them from their bubble for two on the floor._

_The missed opportunity however does not scare or worry me in the slightest. I strongly believe that the chemistry between the two of them is undeniable and the kiss, inevitable. _

_As if I needed further proof to back up my belief, when I, Sexy Cupid and our other halves arrived at the hospital to see the new baby, (Freya, 8pounds exactly, the definition of innocent beauty) Bella was cradling baby girl, while Edward was leant into her with the baby holding his finger. I'd like to add that neither was looking at the gorgeous baby at that point, but at each other. After surveying this for a few moments outside the room, through the window, we all barged in and unfortunately broke their moment._

_After this, Bella admitted unknowingly to Cupids that she was disappointed and clearly annoyed with me, Pixie Cupid for having ruined their moment. After a few reassurances that they would kiss, we delved our interest into the baby, knowing that it would all pan out in time._

_We now allow you to freely continue with the imagination of a submissive Brad Pitt locked in a room with you, our reader._

"Nice one" Rosalie commented me with a smile on her lips as she continued to paint her toenails. "Give them a day or two, and they wont be able to get enough of each other" Rosalie stated in a confident voice as if she were declaring a known fact.

"I hope so Rose…" I muttered back, wondering if all of this was a wise thing to do. Were we pushing Bella and Edward together a little too much too soon? Maybe we shouldn't have encouraged Bella to help Edward out everyday at his house? I hoped for the best as I got up from Rosalie's bed and headed up to my room where Jasper would probably be very grateful for the wakeup call with a difference that I was about to give him.

**Bella POV.**

After spending half my day talking to Jake on the phone…or more precisely…hearing Freya breathing into the phone while she slept and half of my day with Alice and Rosalie at Edward's house while we worked out the décor for the two guest bedrooms, I was ready for out night out tonight.

"Edward dahhhling, it's been a pleasure!" Alice announced in an over the top posh voice as she hugged him, fanning a slim line furniture catalogue in her hand.

"The pleasure has been all mine" Edward responded in a just as over the top posh voice as he kissed the back of her hand in a gentlemanly bygone gesture.

"See you later bud" Rosalie responded in a rather more natural manner before she pulled him into a tight hug which she developed after being with Emmett for so many years.

At the sound of Edwards laugh, I looked back to the two of them just in time to catch him whispering something back to her. I hoped to god that Rosalie hadn't blabbed to him my confession to have had been annoyed that we hadn't kissed yesterday.

I turned my back to Edward as a defence precaution in case he had some embarrassment ammo ready for me.

"Do you want to ride in the Vanquish tonight as well?" Edward asked from behind me with an amused voice after the familiar click of the front door, signalling Rosalie's departure.

"Sure…is that what Rosalie just asked you?" I grabbed at the topic of conversation that was safe from what I had been worrying about.

"Yeah, she asked politely, so I couldn't really say no" he grinned back at me, running a hand through his hair.

I knew that to be a nervous gesture of his. I knew the truth there and then, "She threatened you didn't she…or the car, she threatened to do something to the ca?" I blurted, sure that I had hit the mark as Edward looked up to me with appraising eyes.

"How did you know?" He asked after admitting to what I had suspected.

I tapped my nose as I gave him as sly smirk, not telling him the way that I had cracked this little secret. If he knew that I knew some of his mannerisms already, he'd probably get scared or something.

"Hey, I should get going, before Alice calls me…" I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily as I made my way to the door. "See you later if I survive" I told him as I opened the door.

Edward's farewell was cut off by me slamming the door quickly behind me in a rush to drown out the ring tone of my phone which I hadn't changed.

"_I don't know what this is  
cos you got me good  
just like you knew you would"_

The second bit was cut off as I slammed my finger down on the hang-up button. I sighed a breath of relief and quickly changed my ring tone as I made my way over to Rosalie and Jaspers place next door.

The song brought back memories of yesterday afternoon, causing blood to gush to my cheeks and relief to flood through me as I realised that it would have been more uncomfortable had my phone gone off while I was still in the house with Edward.

Once back at Rosalie's, the 'fun' started. Over the years, I had learnt to be submissive and let them prod and poke me as they wanted knowing that the outcome was always undeniably spectacular. After hours of primping and preening, the three of us were dressed, in matching style dresses of different colours. Alice's was black and white, mine blue and Rosalie's was pink. Once we were all hoisted up on heels, we made our way down.

I blushed as I noticed that Emmett, Jasper and Edward were all at the bottom of the stairs, watching us as we descended. Rosalie and Alice took their sweet time, playing it up for their guys, receiving loving praise and comments.

Once Alice and Rosalie were out of the way, I kept my eyes down, vowing not to fall and break my leg and finally made it down. "I see you survived…" Edward began with a smile playing at his lips as his eyes looked over me. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks slowly but surely from the way he was looking at me.

"Hey Bells, looking lovely as usual!" Emmett called from the doorway that he and Jasper were now stepping out of the door.

I shouted a thank you at him before Edward excused himself and followed the other two out. I grabbed my coat, making sure that my carefully curled hair didn't get upset and then turned to find that Rosalie had disappeared.

"Shotgun Vanish!" Alice called from the hallway where she was frantically shoving on her coat, sending panicked glances around her just in case Rosalie was to jump out and beat her to the car.

Rosalie soon stepped out from the kitchen, turning the lights off after her, "It's Vanquish Alice, not Vanish, Vanquish…" Rosalie sighed with an incredulous tone to her voice as she walked calmly down the hall towards Alice and me.

Rosalie's steady footfall on the wooden floor created a hypnotic clicking sound in the hall, which also sounded slightly intimidating. "Now Alice… because you called shotgun to a car that doesn't even exist, it will now be deemed void and I will ride shotgun" Rosalie declared, with a sly, winning smile set on her lips.

"No you won't, Bella will" Edward declared from the doorway, startling the three of us. Before we could get a word in edgeways he finished with a hasty, "Court adjourned" before he grabbed my arm and pulled me after him in a run to his car which was parked outside his house.

My mind worked in double time as I concentrated on not falling flat on my face. In the background, over the sound of the cogs working in my mind, I could hear Alice and Rosalie whining in the distance.

"That'll teach them" Edward laughed once we had reached the car. He leant against it, a devious smile playing at his lips as we watched Alice lock the door, then her and Rosalie trudge towards the car.

"What did they need to be taught about Mr Cullen?" I asked, keeping my voice light and playful.

"That you can't miss pronounce the name of my car or demand shotgun just because you know more about the car than I do" he answered, straightening up and planting a hand on his hip.

"Hey... I never even heard of the car 'till you got here" I admitted, wondering where that would place me in his rankings.

"I can't blame you…with a truck like that…" he teased me, indicating to my ancient, reliable motor that was parked next door.

"Hey…a little respect…old truck over there is old enough to be your cars great grandfather…don't go hurting his feelings" I joked back, giving his shoulder a small playful shove.

"Like he could hear me, does he even have his hearing aid on and turned up?" He asked back, his face showing genuine curiosity which I could read clearly by the distance he had closed between us. I had to laugh back at how serious he was being mainly and secondly because I was sure that it would make him take a step back from me. After yesterday afternoon, I didn't need any more reminders of the missed opportunity.

"Quit flirting and let's go!" Rosalie called as she and Alice drew up to us. Inevitably, I blushed, but dutifully got into the car as well as Edward.

Within twenty minutes, we were parked outside a swanky looking hotel called 'Evergreen'. Alice and Rosalie quickly thanked Edward for the lift and jumped out, running to their other halves arms, who had been forced to come in Emmett's jeep.

In the darkness of the car, I watched silently as Alice and Rosalie both jumped into their men's arms and looked so utterly radiant with happiness. As I took of my seatbelt, I heard Edward's soft voice wash over me, "I forgot to mention it before, but you look lovely tonight."

My heart skipped a beat from his compliment. I turned to look at him and gave him a warm smile and a thank you before I commented him on his smart attire.

We both got out of the car, but Edward somehow managed to make it around to my side by the time that I had only got one leg out of the car. "Here…" he said as he held out his steady hand to me. Feeling grateful for his help, I held tightly and used him as support as I got out as gracefully as possible.

Edward took my arm in his once I was out and zapped the car locked from over his shoulder as we walked away to reach the others who were waiting patiently just inside the doors.

I laughed as I caught sight of Emmett with Rosalie's digital camera which seemed dwarfed in his huge paws. He snapped a picture of Edward and me before he snapped a few of Rosalie who was slowly rotating on the spot, warming herself up, I noticed by the heater in the ceiling. "Rose baby, come here, I'll get a fire burning in you in no time…" Emmett announced as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, nuzzling his nose in her neck.

"Emmett!" The cry came from both Rosalie and Jasper for two different reasons. Rosalie was slightly shocked, while Jasper was slightly appalled.

"Sorry dude…keep it behind locked doors…I know…" Emmett apologised, releasing Rosalie and holding his hands up in surrender, letting the camera swing wildly on the strap that was around his wrist.

"Come on, I'm sure you could eat a horse!" Rosalie commanded as she latched onto Emmett's hand and led him to the reception desk.

"I don't know about a horse, but I could eat you right up…" He whispered a little loudly than he probably anticipated as he pressed up against Rosalie, kissing the nape of her neck softly.

A smack on the back of his head from Jasper cause Emmett to calm down and step away from Rosalie.

"Jasper…why are we here?" Alice asked sweetly as she looked up to him from her spot, entwined in his arms as she stood with her back against his chest.

"Sorry to disappoint love but I don't need a reason to take you to dinner…" He responded before he leant down and kissed her pouting lips softly.

I tried hard to suppress my laugh as I watched Alice lift one of Jaspers hands to her mouth. I knew what she was about to do, but by the confused look on Edwards face, he didn't.

"Watch a real master of persuasion at work" I whispered to Edward while I clutched onto his arm a little tighter in the hope of suppressing my laughter.

"Alice…come on…" Jasper hissed, trying feebly to tug his hand from her grasp as she began to lick, bite, kiss and suck her way along the inside of his forearm and wrist, before settling at the final destination.

"Alice…don't…" Jasper pleaded, but made no move to break her grasp from his arm which he could have done, as Alice threw me a quick wink before she pressed her lips to Jaspers palm. I could tell by the sparkle in her eyes that she was smiling now as Jaspers hand seemed to close around Alice's face softly as if he were keeping her mouth in place.

By now I knew that Jasper would probably be putty in Alice's hands. She told me once, years ago that Jasper had admitted that her kissing his palm like that drove him wild.

"What are you, a man or a mouse?!" Emmett laughed as he gave Jaspers back a forceful smack, breaking both himself and Alice from the spell she was conjuring.

"Mouse…definitely a mouse" I heard Jasper whisper with his eyes closed in shame before he opened them and span Alice around in his arms. "You little sprite…" he teased aggravation as he cupped her face in his hands lovingly.

"Your little sprite" Alice corrected him before she took hold of both his hands and kissed both palms quickly. "A girls got to try" she smiled before she allowed herself to be led by Jasper into the dining room that Emmett and Rosalie had already reached.

"Impressive bit of persuasion" Edward summarised before he tugged gently at my arm, signalling that we should follow.

Soon, we were all seated around a romantic looking circular table which was adorned with red rose petals and aromatic candles which were burning in the middle of the table, casting a soft glow over the table.

I realised that we were in the most private corner of the dining room, which was a little odd because Emmett and Jasper tended to prefer being within an arms reach of the bar to save their legs. I wondered why the sudden change, but then realised that because there was the six of us and Edward was a guest, maybe they were trying to keep the night a little classier.

**Edward POV.**

The conversation and wine flowed freely between the girls as the food progressed from starter to main. We men weren't drinking because I and Emmett had to drive and I suspected that Jasper had his own reason for not hitting the wine. Once the main's plates were cleared away, Emmett gave me a nervous look as he took a deep breath. I nodded my head once, urging him on. With that nod from me his face wiped clean from the nerves and allowed a big, excited grin to come forth.

"If you'll excuse me…" Emmett declared in a suave voice as he got up from the table, kissing Rosalie's shoulder before he headed toward the bathrooms.

"And if you will excuse me also…" Jasper followed suit and got up before he began to walk with Emmett in the bathroom's direction.

"I thought only girls went to the bathroom together!?" Rosalie called as she leant back in her chair blatantly staring at Emmett's rear.

"That's what you think love!" Emmett called from over his shoulder, blowing her a kiss before his booming laugh signalled his and Jaspers departure.

"Goofball" Rosalie laughed as she turned back to the rest of us.

After a humorous discussion of who would ride shotgun on the way home, Emmett and Jasper returned. "You took your time…" Bella announced with a curious look on her face as she leant forward slightly toward Emmett.

"Yeah, well there was a queue…and you've got to do the whole leave a space between thing with the urinals…" He clarified before he turned to me to back up his story. "Right Edward?"

"Absolutely…" I answered, receiving a speculative look from Bella and a victorious grin from Emmett.

Moments later, our server, David arrived at our table. As I had been doing all night so far, I drew myself a little closer to Bella, wrapping my arm around the back of her chair just to make the point clear. Unfortunately this David kid who could only be 17 at the most didn't get the message from my actions or Bella's subtle let downs. "Your dessert…" the kid drawled out in what I think was supposed to be a sexy voice. Either way, it caused me to laugh. I counted myself lucky that he'd given me my desert before my outburst, because the look in his eyes told me that he would have otherwise smeared it over my face.

"Stupid kid…" Alice sighed as David vanished back into the kitchen, embarrassed.

"Edward, you didn't have to laugh at him…" Bella muttered with a smile in her voice. I knew that she found it as funny as I had.

"Yes he did, or I would have!" Emmett declared, shaking his head in disbelief.

A few seconds later, two young women came out carrying the other's desserts, one who I recognised from earlier to be the owner of the hotel.

"Here you are…" the young woman who wasn't the owner declared as she broke the common code of courtesy and served Emmett and Jasper their desserts before Alice and Rosalie.

"And ladies, we all hope that you will enjoy them…" the owner declared before she handed one plate to Emmett and one to Jasper.

"What the hell? Give me my chocolate pudding Emm…." Rosalie demanded, inching her hand towards Emmett's plate in threat.

After a quick glance at Jasper, both he and Emmett lowered their beloved's desert plates to the table. "Okay love, here…"

Bella's gasp from beside me vanished into the sound of Alice's and Rosalie's. I daren't look away from the scene, wanting to make sure that I saw the whole thing, but I blindly reached my hand over, searching for Bella's. Within seconds, her warm hand was clamped within mine.

**Rosalie POV.**

"What the hell? Give me my chocolate pudding Emm…." I demanded as my usually not as thick boyfriend kept my adored chocolate away from me. I wondered if he had a death wish. The threat of taking away his own pudding would surely cause him to cave I decided before I began to move my hand clearly toward his untouched plate.

Why the hell did he look to Jasper? Since when did Emmett need Jaspers approval to give me chocolate pudding? My mind screamed in confusion before Emmett spoke up. "Okay love, here…" I couldn't help but notice the slight hint of nervousness in his face and features as he brought the plate down to the table. Having been with Emmett for five years made me an expert on working out how he was feeling.

My triumphant smile was wiped clean off my face when I looked down upon the dessert plate.

**Alice POV.**

Yeah, you tell him Rose! I laughed silently in my mind as Rose gave Emmett an earful for taking away our desserts. I looked up to Jasper who was looking down at me with eyes flooding with love. I frowned slightly, but let it go as I noticed a slight flicker of fear or apprehension cross through his eyes. Gazing at Jaspers eyes, I didn't quite catch what Emmett said, but I did notice my plate coming down to the table. With one thankful smile to my Jasper, I turned, gasped and stared in awe at my plate.

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I know!! Mean or what!! The next chapter will be up soon, I suppose you know what will happen next, but I'll leave you with a cliff-hanger anyway!!

**I hope that my writers block's gone now! Maybe my new piercing that I got yesterday scared it away!? Ha-ha! My sister and I got our napes pierced for the second time. Lovely jubly!! **

**Review for me please!! It's medically proven that reviews will help with the healing of my new piercing….you do want to keep me happy don't you?! **_**(Inserts evil laugh here.)**_** :D**


	8. Champagne And Kisses

_**Stephenie Meyer - A God? Apparently not…but she created the Twilight Universe.**_

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I'm not so evil, I didn't make you all wait that long for this!

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**News! News! Read All About It!!--**I have to also admit...that I've got the next chapter started,but even though I have all the notes ready, I got kind of distracted and wrot up the first chapter to my next story!! 3hours later and chapter 1 is complete! With that said, i wont be posting the new story untill I get this one done and dusted, which i'm going to work my butt off to do in my spare time (I work 6days a week people!) Anyway...READ ON!!

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The chapters song is…'Would I Lie To You Baby' by Charles And Eddie.

**Emmett POV.**

I held my breath from the moment Rosalie gasped. In my mind, I prayed that I had done the right thing, hoped that she was as ready as I was for this. I loved her with every fibre of my being. Even though I was the big, burly guy, Rosalie was my rock, the one who fought my corner whenever was needed which was thankfully so far, hardly ever. Rosalie had the body that tens of goofy painters had been foreseeing for centuries in their works of art, always depicting her as an angel with her halo of blonde hair and natural beauty.

With apprehension and hope threatening to spill forth from me in the form of either nervous chatter or an ugly dose of vomiting, I slowly locked my eyes on Rosalie's now that she had turned to look at me. With her eyes locked on mine, I slowly turned her chair away from the table, her still sitting on it and then I slowly lowered myself in front of her onto one knee.

**Rosalie POV.**

As the back of my eyes began to sting, I frantically racked my brains, trying to recall if I had worn my waterproof mascara or not. Remembering that I had, I tore my eyes from my desert plate and looked up to my big guy who looked almost sick as he waited for me to say something.

After dragging me, on the chair, away from the table, a happy sob wracked my chest as he got down on one knee in front of me. I tried my best to remember every detail of this moment, ready to recite it to our children which we would have, lots of them.

I recited the line that was written over my plate in chilled chocolate. "Marry me, you know you want to?" I laughed as I clawed at one of Emmett's hands, wanting a part of him to hold to keep me composed.

"Yeah…" Emmett actually blushed a little before he gave his head a little shake and continued, "But let me do this right okay?"

"Sure…" I answered weakly, knowing that this meant a lot to him if he was going to disregard his light hearted proposal line.

Capturing my eyes, he began, "Rosalie Lillian Hale…the love of my life since before I even met you, the one who captured my heart and refused point blank to give it back whenever we fought…" I had to laugh at his beautiful unconventional proposal speech. He continued, staring with me with enough love to have had scared me if I hadn't seen that look from him countless times before "Will you marry me?" he asked, plucking the expensive, glittering, ruby embedded silver engagement ring from my desert plate where it rested against a single red rose beside the 'Marry me, you know you want to' chocolate script.

"Yes…" I whimpered as the tears spilled forth while Emmett grinned widely in elation.

I pressed my lips to his as he slipped the ring on my finger, "Yes…yes…yes…" I sobbed against his lips before he finished putting on my ring and pulled me out of my seat, to sit on his lap on the floor, kissing me tenderly.

As he kissed down my neck, I looked over his shoulder to see my new engagement ring once again. It had diamonds leading up the sides to the middle where a striking, oval, red ruby featured in the centre, surrounded by round diamonds.

He knew me so well. I always wanted an eye catching ring which I could use as a clear sign to all that I was taken, I was Emmett's.

**Jasper POV.**

I noticed Edward recording the whole moment as we had asked, between the both of us on Rosalie's camera while Bella recorded Rosalie and Emmett's with her own camera which had been stashed in her bag.

I turned my attention back to Alice who was now lightly running her fingers over the white rose, avoiding the ring I noticed.

My mind went blank from the moment I heard Alice gasp. I had a speech memorised, my actions planned out with military precision, the words I would whisper to her if she was unsure or had doubts. But, by now they were all gone, leaving me dumb beside her.

The commotion beside me told me that Emmett and Rosalie, for the least, were by now talking to each other. Alice's silence began to slowly scare me.

"Alice…please say something…" I whispered as I bent down on one knee beside her, grabbing her limp arm in hands, lightly kissing the exposed skin in nervousness, not knowing what else to do.

"Jasper" her broken voice whispered from in front of me, causing me to let her arm back down softly and look up to her face. I sighed in relief at the sight of her smile, and matched it with my own.

Alice pressed both of her hands on either side of my face before she stunned me by whispering, "You could have warned me, I would have worn a different dress…" I laughed out loud in her face. She never ceased to amaze me.

**Alice POV.**

Hearing Jasper laugh made my heart soar. I hoped that he knew that I was only joking about the dress, I didn't care what I was wearing to be completely truthful, his proposal was too overwhelming, and nothing else mattered for the moment.

Having been together for five years told me that this was inevitable, and I had wondered a few times before if he would ever propose, but now that he had, I couldn't get my head around it, it seemed so out of the blue.

The love radiating from his eyes was distracting, making all sense of time fall away. I pressed my lips to his, feeling my heart rate increase by an tenfold as I anticipated his next words which were written on my dessert plate, but that I had been waiting to hear for five long years, since I mistook him for Bella in the lunch queue.

Resting his forehead on mine, copying my stance by placing his hands on either side of my face, he whispered, "Mary Alice Brandon, will you marry me and make me the happiest man alive and make the last five years of our lives together just a blip compared to the tens of years ahead of us…" he asked as his eyes bore into mine.

"Yes, I will marry you and let you make me the happiest woman on earth as I have been since the day we met." I managed to gush out passionately before I broke down, overwhelmed by how happy I was.

"One more thing love…" Jasper grinned excitedly at me before he reached to the table, bringing back the ring with him. "May I?" he asked with an arched brow as he took hold of my left hand. I nodded silently, dabbing at my eyes with my free hand.

He slipped on the silver ring which had a path of diamonds which lead to the centre of the ring where a square blue topaz stone sat, glinting beautifully from the candle light beside us.

"It's the same colour as your eyes" I whispered in shock and awe as I lightly ran a finger over the gemstone, then over Jasper's closed lids.

I sobbed into Jaspers shoulder while he held me to him, kissing my neck tenderly as his hands ran up and down my back rhythmically. From the corner of my eye I could see Bella's hand clenched in Edwards on top of the table as they recoded us.

**Bella POV.**

I noticed Emmett giving Edward some sign once he and Rosalie surfaced for air. Edward whispered the meaning of Emmett's silent signal to me, and I obediently stopped recording just as Emmett got himself seated and pulled Rosalie to his lap, looking over her shoulder to twirl the ring on her finger.

"Our work here is done, come here Bella…" Edward's familiar voice came from beside me as I set my camera on the table and brushed my tears of joy away with the back of my hand.

"Huhhh?" I responded inarticulately as I turned to look at him.

"Here, let me…" he whispered with a small smile playing at his lips as he sat at the edge of his seat and leant towards me to dab the tears from my face with his decorative handkerchief from his jacket.

"Thank you" I gave him a watery smile before his strong hand that had been holding my hand moved and gently held my chin as his other erased all traces of the tears. Trying not to concentrate too much on how Edward would occasionally brush closely to my mouth, I concentrated on the sounds around me and heard Alice and Rosalie both frantically gushing into their phones that they were engaged. I supposed that they'd called their parents.

"There, pretty as a picture" Edward declared cheerfully as he leant back from me, dropping his hands into his lap after stuffing the handkerchief into his trouser pocket.

"Champagne back at home, come on!" Jasper announced as he lifted Alice into his arms bridal style causing her to laugh exuberantly.

After taking a few hurried pictures of Alice and Rosalie's proposal plates and grabbing their roses, Edward and I hurried out to the cars after the two happy couples.

"Meet you back there!" Emmett called as he and Rosalie hopped into his jeep. I had a good guess that those two would arrive back some time after us after stopping off somewhere to 'celebrate'.

"Ohhh, Bella, my rose!" Alice gasped as she caught sight of her white rose that I was holding. I handed it to her with a smile and then got into the car now that Edward had unlocked it.

On the drive home, Jasper admitted how nervous he had been, picking out the right ring, making sure that everything went to plan and how he had secretly wanted to ask Alice to marry him for years but he knew that the both of them needed to their careers sorted out first.

Once back at the house, Alice and Jasper ran hand in hand to the front door shouting orders that we all watch the video's of both men proposing in the living room, while Jasper demanded once again that we all celebrate with champagne.

Edward and I got out of the car and followed them at a more leisurely pace. I had already run this distance earlier in the night when Alice and Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett were still boyfriend and girlfriend.

As we walked in the dark, Edward spoke up, breaking our silence, "Do you want me to hold your hand again when we watch the videos?" he asked beside me with humour and seriousness both etched in his voice.

"If it's not too much trouble" I responded with a weary sigh before he chuckled lightly beside me and grabbed my hand.

"It's no trouble at all…" he whispered with a smile in his voice, giving my hand a small squeeze. He quickly dropped my hand as either Alice or Jasper turned the outside lights on, flooding us in artificial light.

Once we were inside the warm house, Edward asked, "Will we be seeing Rosalie and Emmett again any time soon?"

I tried to shrug off my coat, but found it stuck due to its tight fit. Edward swiftly span me around and tugged at my coat, pulling it off of me easily as I answered him, "They'll be back, they'll be wanting Rosalie's soft bed" I finished, indicating toward Rosalie's room which was beside us to the left.

"Bella!!" Jasper's voice wailed childishly from the kitchen. I rolled my eyes at Edward, eliciting another small chuckle from him before I excused myself and followed Jasper's call.

"Where does Alice keep the champagne glasses? The nice ones…" Jasper asked as he rummaged through the kitchen cupboards.

"Here." I told him as I pointed to the glasses cabinet. There at the very top were the champagne glasses that he was talking about. They were an expensive Christmas present from her parents a few years ago. The stems were black and bled up into the flutes.

"Life saver" I heard Jasper mutter as he easily reached his hands up to the top shelf due to his towering 6'3 frame.

Once we had the six champagne glasses and three bottles, we headed carefully upstairs. Thankfully, we had safely set down the glasses and champagne by the time Rosalie and Emmett burst through the front door loudly.

"Honeys were home!" Rosalie called cheerily before she and Emmett clambered breathlessly up the stairs.

"Emmett, you've got some lipstick…right there…" I teased him as I pointed vaguely to his chin.

"What where?" Emmett asked as he began to rub at his chin frantically. "Wait…Rose isn't wearing lipstick!!" He called, ruffling my hair before taking his seat beside his fiancée who was laughing at him and twirling her new ring.

"Rosie, don't laugh at me, I still have the receipt for that ring…" Emmett teased as he grabbed hold of her left hand and kissed her knuckles.

"Yeah well, you can take away the ring, but I wont give you your heart back…" she told him in a fake spiteful voice before she added, leaning in to him as if she was threatening him, "That's mine sugar!"

Edward took a seat beside me once he'd finished helping Alice with the cables for the digital camera. Jasper dutifully uncorked the three bottles of champagne, managing to jar the light bulb above us with one cork. Once he filled the glasses, he handed one to each of us, turned off the lights and then sat back, wrapping an arm around Alice's shoulders.

"Ready everyone?" Alice asked in an excited voice as she held the remote control ready. With everyone's positive response, she pressed play.

I sipped at my champagne while I noticed Edward drinking his down quickly. Once his glass was empty I watched him carefully set it on the floor beside him, before he reached a hand over to grab my free one. Realising that I could probably do with one free hand to wipe away my tears, I also downed my champagne, then invested more attention to the video of Alice and Jasper's engagement.

By the time that we had watched both of the proposing videos, us girls were sobbing and sniffing while the men, I noticed were clearing their throats and avoiding each others gazes.

Once the six of us had settled, Emmett got up and began to pour us all some more champagne, declaring that we all should get mighty pissed.

From the strength percentage on the bottles, I had no doubt that getting mighty pissed would be a feat easily achieved.

"A summer wedding would be good, because we could be out in the sun and it'd be nice and warm…" Alice rambled on as she sipped her champagne some time later. "But then there's the winter…" she let out a dreamy sigh before she continued; a drunken Jasper hanging on her every word, "if we had snow, it'd look beautiful, but if it rained…" she screwed up her face in disgust.

"What about the autumn?" I interjected, just having fun with her now. "The leaves, the oranges, the pumpkins…oooo, you could have a Halloween wedding!" I announced excitedly knowing that Alice would either lap it up or hate it.

"Halloween! We could make the wedding fancy dress and I could be Alice in wonderland!" Her face lit up as the possibilities ran through her mind.

"Gee…well done Bella…" Rosalie joked as she rolled her eyes while Alice jabbered on, occasionally stopping to drink more champagne.

"Well…Charlie and Renee will have to come; I haven't seen them in years!" Emmett declared from where he sat with Rosalie perched on his lap like the queen he saw her to be.

"And Bells, baby, you're obviously going to be my maid of honour…" Rosalie announced, giving me a look that said, 'but you already knew that anyway'. I looked to Alice who declared the same thing without a doubt in her drunken mind.

I smiled at them both, showing them the excitement that they wanted to see and then looked away as they both carried on with their excited chatter.

"Bella?" Edward's voice startled me, causing me to jump slightly before I turned to him and gave him a reassuring smile. "What's wrong?" he whispered, leaning toward me a little closer as if he were trying to read me.

"Nothing" I lied, giving him another smile before I stood up and announced disjointedly, "Going down…kitchen… back in a minute…" With that, I turned and headed downstairs, away from the happy room.

I stopped at the bottom of the stairs before I slowly made my way to the kitchen. I leant against the wall, closed my eyes and sighed in aggravation at the sound of a pair of feet scrambling down the stairs after me. "Bella?" Edward called out in a whisper before he entered the kitchen.

I held my breath as Edward stood none to far away from me, facing the other way. I realised that he hadn't noticed me, but he soon turned around and even through the darkness, found me. "Hi…" I greeted him weakly before I relaxed, letting my shoulders slump.

"Talk to me please…" Edward begged as he stepped up close in front of me, holding me by the shoulders gently. I remained silent, hoping that he would give up and leave me alone. "Bella…please, its not like I can read your mind! I know that something's wrong…" the desperation in his voice cut at me.

I raised my hands to my face before I took a step forward and rested my forehead against his chest. "I don't want to talk about it" I muttered through my hands as his arms wrapped around my shoulders, holding me softly, yet soundly to him.

"Well I do…" he stated simply in a hard voice, telling me that I wasn't to argue.

"Edward…" I sighed as a plea that he would let it go.

"Bella, just talk to me…believe it or not but it pains me to see you sad like this…" he whispered, rubbing my back softly as if he could brush away the sadness.

"Fine…" I began before I took a deep breath, keeping my face hidden in his chest, "I've only just noticed how alone I am. My mum and dad left me for their new life in Phoenix, Jake has Leah and Freya, and now my best friends are all committed and will probably move away to start a family…" I finished, dropping my arms from my face and wrapping my arms limply around Edward's torso.

"Just you and me left…" Edward declared simply. I sighed as I felt him move and rest his cheek against the top of my head.

"And then you'll find your girl…" I continued, clearly seeing the inevitability of my future alone.

"And the you'll find your guy…" Edward added, jarring my head slightly as he spoke.

"Unlikely" I sighed, letting my impending vision blossom in front of my closed eyes like a movie. I could see myself loosing all the people I loved because they'd have families and wouldn't have time for little old me…

My vision was slapped away by Edward's next words, "Why is that so unlikely?" he asked, pulling his head back and lifting my head up by the chin to look at him. I could see anger or maybe disbelief in his face as he stared down at me, his brow furrowed.

"Edward come on…" I half pleaded, not wanting to admit to him what I already knew. He arched a brow at me, a silent demand for me to elaborate. Thankfully, he let his hold on my chin go and placed his arm back around my shoulders. I dropped my gaze and explained, "I work unsociable hours in the restaurant, my best friends are two girls and four big, strong, intimidating guys, I love to read in my spare time and I hardly ever go out…" I listed, finishing with a weary sigh and letting my head rest back against Edward's chest.

He took a step back from me, slackening our hold on one another. The look in his eyes halted me from carrying out my original plan of taking a step forward and hugging him reassuringly close to me once again. The incredulity in his eyes was backed up with the same tone that swathed his voice as he declared, "I don't see anything wrong with anything you said…"

A frown grew at his brow at my silence. "You're the only one" I smiled lightly at him before I dropped my gaze from his, leaning back and resting back against the wall as I had done before.

With my eyes downcast, I saw Edward take a step forward; to me before I heard the sound of his footfall. "You don't see yourself very clearly do you?" He asked with a sense of knowing, making the question sound more rhetorical.

I gave my shoulders a weak shrug; feeling quite exhausted and emotionally tired by now after all the joyful crying, the excitement and Edward's questions. I closed my eyes and suppressed a yawn before I felt Edward's hands hold my limp ones lightly as they hung at my sides. I thought nothing of it until his hands began to slowly work their way up my arms, scorching my skin with awareness at his every touch.

I slowly opened my eyes and freely looked up at Edward now; sure that confusion was evident in my expression. I frowned in confusion as I noted that he was staring down at me as if he were mesmerised by the sight that he beheld, me. Slowly, his eyes found mine and they locked, unwilling to let mine go with the intensity that they radiated. Edward's hands found my shoulders where they lightly ran across to my neck. His hands halted on either side of my neck, his thumbs reaching up and brushing the sides of my jaw tantalisingly slowly.

My heart beat increased a tenfold as one of his hands remained at my neck and the other inched up higher, so that his thumb was now rubbing softly at my bottom lip. "Edward…the champagne's got to you" I whispered breathlessly as I felt him take half a step closer to me, leaving him pressed against me.

"No it hasn't" he told me firmly, telling me that he was fully aware of his actions which also foretold the impending result.

The result came sooner than I expected as his thumb halted its painful torture on my lip and his hand moved around to the back of my neck, gripping me tenderly. My hands moved of their own accord, around his neck, pulling his body ever closer to me, closing the small gap which separated us.

I felt his hand at the back of my neck apply some pressure as he tilted my head up, to meet his that was lowering steadily to mine. As he closed his eyes, his lips a whisper from mine, I followed suit, ready to allow my feelings to take over especially after the anticipation of this kiss since Alice had interrupted yesterdays.

My arms gripped tighter around his neck at the impact of our lips, while the hand that he still had at the side of my neck lowered quickly to the small of my back. I arched my back, pressing up against him as I felt his hand at the bottom of my back pressing me closer to him. His groan was lost to me as I felt his tongue tracing my bottom lips. As if I was intoxicated by him, I opened my mouth and let our tongues caress, relishing in the latest dose of him.

Fearing over the threat of passing out, I broke my lips from his and began trailing peppered kisses along his cheek and steadily down to his neck. I could feel both of his hands resting at my hips now as he let my lips nip at his neck while my hands began to roam over his shoulders, down his chest, and to his hips to mimic his stance on me.

His hands swiftly moved to my face, cupping it tenderly before he crashed his lips to mine, making me feel lost in the feel of him once again. His drugging kisses left me dazes along with the feel of his hands that were running over my body as if he were trying to memorise the contours of my body.

"Why don't you light that fire in me now caveman!?" Rosalie's voice laughed from a distance, sounding muffled as if it were coming from an old gramophone.

"Anything you want fiancée." Emmett's voice soon followed, louder and clearer than Rosalie's. I was sure that the sound of Emmett's voice was what caused Edward to break away from me, hurriedly running a hand over his hair to make it look more natural while I blushed and moved from the wall, walking past Edward on shaky legs to the kitchen sink beyond, pretending to look out of the blackened window in front of me.

"Hey want some whipped cream Rose?" I groaned at Emmett's question, knowing that he would have to come in here and would find me blushing scarlet and Edward utterly composed. After a flicker of light that hurt my eyes, Emmett's surprised voice broke the silence, "Guy's how you doing?" he asked cheerily as if nothing had happened and opened the fridge door, brandishing the mentioned bottle of whipped cream in his hands.

"Hey Emmett…" Edward greeted him before he added hastily, "I better be off…I can see that you are other wise engaged…no pun intended." Emmett chuckled along with him, and through the reflection in the window in front of me, I could see Emmett watching me.

I turned around to face the two guys, hoping that I was a little less flushed. "Emm?" I asked as to why he was looking at me.

"Erm…Bells…the thing is…the house isn't exactly going to be quiet tonight if you get my drift with Alice and Jasper on the top floor and me and Rosalie on the bottom and you wedged between on the second floor…" he explained, leaving me confused. How did he expect me to get home? I couldn't exactly drive after all the wine and champagne…and having had Edward intoxicate me with his touches and kisses.

I pushed that last thought from my mind and smiled at him before I reassured him, "Don't worry, I'll call Jake, he might still be up because of Freya anyway, I'm sure that he'd drive me home…" I finished, heading out of the room to the phone in the hallway.

A firm hand clasped around my wrist, halting my exit. "Why don't you come back with me, I'll sleep on the sofa…you could change into something more comfy first of course…" Edward offered from beside me before Emmett began to chatter on about what a good idea it was and how he wouldn't feel guilty with me being all alone at home.

His offer was too good to refuse, plus how could I refuse it without Emmett getting suspicious anyway? I nodded my head and headed upstairs to change into a pair of sweats and a baggy t-shirt before I threw on one of Emmett's cast off hoodies just in case the house was cold at night.

**Edward POV.**

The kiss had been, unbelievable, earth shattering, monumental, and more. She felt surprisingly perfect to my every touch, every kiss. I couldn't quite make out how I felt when Emmett interrupted us. I was grateful on the one hand that he hadn't walked in on us and made things any more uncomfortable, but then I was irritated at the fact that he cut our passion filled kisses short.

"Hey, Edward, you're a great guy and all, but if Bella comes back any less than perfect…" his words weren't necessarily a threat, but a warning for me to remember how much he cared for her. He gave his shoulders a small shrug which rang as a silent threat which I interpreted as to say 'I will make you pay for it.'

I gave my head a nod before I spoke up clearly, letting my words ring with conviction, "I understand, I'll make sure she's safe."

My words seemed good enough for him for he gave me a natural smile and a pat on the back. Seconds later, Bella reached the bottom of the stairs wearing a pair of blue socks with gray elephants dotted over them, gray sweats, and a large hoodie which was clearly a mans. I dropped my gaze from her as she hugged Emmett goodnight, wondering if the hoodie was from an Ex of hers. I wondered why it bothered me, why jealousy and dejection coursed through me. We had only shared one kiss…or one bout of kisses.

"Bella, my hoodie never ceases to look good on you" Emmett announced with a grin as he lifted a handful of loose fabric from Bella's shoulders before letting it drop back down.

I sighed a breath of relief at the news that it had once been Emmett's hoodie. "See you tomorrow?" I asked Emmett as I made my way to the door.

"Sure will buddy, we should do something in the afternoon" he answered me, twirling his tin of squirty cream in his hands as he speculated tomorrow's activity.

"Damn…I need to get some shoes…" Bella sighed with her hands on her hips before she went to trudge up stairs. Within seconds, Emmett had Bella in his arms and was striding over to me, still somehow holding onto the tin of cream.

"Why walk, when you can be carried?" Emmett asked chuckling as he dropped a protesting Bella into my arms. Her arms instinctively wrapped around my neck for support from the haphazard way Emmett had dropped her into my hold. After shuffling her around a little, I got a good hold on her which Emmett seemed to notice, because moments later, he was ushering us out of the door, "Goodnight, sleep tight, don't come back until tomorrow…afternoon!" Emmett added the last bit just after I made out the sound of Rosalie calling his name in the distance.

"I'm sorry about this…" Bella whispered with her head hung as I carried her to my front door.

"What? Why?" I asked as I set her down in front of my front door while I unlocked it.

"I…don't know…for having to carry me over here, for earlier…" I looked over to her to see her glancing apprehensively at me to gouge my reaction. She quickly turned away, avoiding my gaze. I knew that she was referring to the kiss, which I didn't regret in the slightest.

Once inside the house, I closed to door and decided to be bold and show the Bella that I meant what I said. Before I had even turned the lights on, I grabbed her arm and pulled her to me before I pressed her against the door, leaning my body to her with one arm supporting me as it rested on the door beside her head, "Don't be sorry, I don't regret a thing." I admitted to her, noticing the slight smile that crossed her lips at my words before I crashed my lips to hers, doing my very best to convey the passion I felt for her.

After a few hungry kisses, Bella broke away from me, but her hands remained grabbing hold to fistfuls of my shirt. "We should get some sleep" she announced breathlessly, before she let go of me and ducked under my arm that was practically holding me up as it remained braced at the door.

Realising that there was no need for light due to the moons glow, I turned to see where Bella was. "Up" I ordered with hard eyes as I watched her trying to settle on the sofa in the living room.

"Edward, it's your house…" she argued.

"Precisely, you are in my house and will be mannered enough to accept my request." I told her decisively as I grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. "Go." I ordered her as I lay out on the sofa, looking up at her.

I knew that she wasn't happy with my order due to her selfless nature, but the thought of her trying to get to sleep on this comfy to sit on, but uncomfortable to sleep on sofa pained me. "If you're sure…" she muttered as she toyed with the dangling cords of her hoodie. I gave my head a small nod and graced her with a sleepy smile before I sighed in content, watching her ascend the stairs.

Some time later, my eyes opened of their own accord once again as my mind continuously played tricks on me. The previously useful moonlight that shone through the windows annoyed the hell out of me, basking the room in unwanted light as I tried to get to sleep, but I wouldn't do anything about it, I was too tired to bother. I scrunched my eyes closed once again, but suddenly let them fly open at a sound at the bottom of the stairs moments later.

"Edward?" a sweet angelic voice whispered in the semi-darkness as Bella's form advanced silently to me.

I sat up suddenly, gave my eyes a quick rub and then looked up to her where she was stood a small distance in front of me with ashamed eyes and her arms wrapped tightly around her.

"What is it?" I asked as I reached out for one of her hands which felt ice cold. I slapped my other hand to my forehead as I realised that while I was warm enough on this small sofa with a thick blanket, Bella must have been freezing up in the huge bed in the middle of the night.

"It's kind of cold up there…" she whispered as she placed her other hand on top of mine to further prove her point.

"Come on…" I yawned as I got up, snatching the blanket off the sofa and leading her up the stairs to my bedroom. Once inside, I told her to get into bed and then I laid my blanket from downstairs over the bedcovers for additional warmth before I slid in on the other side.

I had to work hard on going against my instincts which told me to scoot over and wrap my arms around her, knowing that it would probably scare her. Just as this though ended in my mind, I felt cold feet lace with mine before I turned to her and pulled her into my embrace, letting the apprehension in her eyes wash away.

I gasped in shock at how could she was against me, while she groaned, basking in my warmth. I rubbed my hands over her back and sides to help her warm up while she rested against me quietly, occasionally moving her feet around.

Some uncharted time later I felt Bella's steady breathing break from its pattern, telling me that she had been asleep but had woken up. Without a word, she fumbled around under the covers and found one of my arms. She lifted it up, out from under the blankets and then manoeuvred my hand to rest on the side of her face that was still stone cold due to it being exposed to the chilled air. I let my hand rest on her cheek, warming it up slowly before I bent my head down and kissed the tip of her ice cold nose. She snuggled a little closer to me, throwing an arm over my chest before I let sleep take over me as she had done.

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**Pictures Of Alice And Rosalie's Engagement Rings Are On My Profile!!**

**My longest chapter so far!! A little over 6,400 words! I'm so happy!...so are E/B/Em/R/A/J by the way this chapter went!! I hope you all liked the proposing, I sure did when I made it up. I had to give Emmett a funny proposing line, but with ****Emmett's POV**** I really wanted to capture how much he worships Rosalie, I think I got it…(hopefully!)**

**So, it' took me a good hour to read over this chapter and jiggle things around, sort out some spelling mistakes that I found, so I hope that you can all appreciate how long it must have taken me to write the whole thing! Hours people, hours!! I'd say about 8 in total, so….the next time you ask me to instantly add another chapter…think again!! I wish that they'd just fall from the sky, but they don't! (****Don't get my wrong though-your eagerness is a good thing…****)**

**BIG P.S. if you haven't heard the song…****'****Would I Lie To You Baby' by Charles And Eddie****, go listen to it now on youtube or something!!**


	9. Possesive

_**Stephenie Meyer - A God? Apparently not…but she created the Twilight Universe.**_

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The chapters song is...'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic' by The Police. (I know that you all know the song-its epic!! I love it!)

**Edward POV.**

I was woken from my sleep by an unfamiliar movement on my chest. After mere seconds, my mind registered the feeling of a soft warm body pressed to my side. I opened my sleepy eyes and drank in the sight of Bella who was rubbing her eyes softly while breathing a yawn.

"Good morning" I greeted her. I expected her to jump in shock or scramble away from me blushing, but she did neither. Instead, she looked up to me, gave me a small smile before she settled her head back on my chest.

"What time is it?" she asked softly as her feet moved up and down against my legs, distracting me slightly from her question.

"I…erm…its 10am" I told her once I'd gathered my wits and looked at the clock beside me.

"What are we doing today?" she asked as she moved back from me, looking down at me as she rested on her elbow.

I shrugged my shoulders in answer before I reached over and held her hand in mine. I hoped that our little world from last night wasn't just a one off, but from the way she snuggled to me moments earlier, it didn't seem like it. "Why don't I take you to breakfast at the restaurant that I work at?" she asked me, giving my hand a gentle squeeze as her eyes lit up in excitement.

"Sure, why not" I grinned back at her, knowing from the look in her eyes that this would mean a lot to her as showing my store to her days before had meant something to me.

"I'm going to pop back next door to get changed" she declared as she sat up. I let go of her hand and also got out of bed, ready to take a nice warm shower.

Looking over at her, I remembered that she had nothing on her feet last night and that I had carried her over. Knowing that the same dilemma was at hand this morning, I walked around the bed and lifted Bella into my arms without her knowing that I was coming.

"Wow! What the…?" she began then broke off as she looked at her feet and gave them a wiggle. "I remember now" she grinned. I watched her face as it fell slightly and turned to embarrassment. I knew what she had just remembered, our hungry kisses next door and at my front door after getting inside the house.

"Bella…" I whispered, urging her to look up at me.

When she turned her face, I silently rejoiced that it was mere inches from mine. Now that I had her close enough, I tightened my hold on her and lowered my lips to hers.

"Edward wait…morning breath…" she blushed as she craned her neck back, keeping her head away from mine.

"I don't care" I told her seriously with incredulity in my voice as I tightened my hold on her once more, begging her to get back to the position that she had been in moments earlier.

I grinned down at her as I felt her hands slip into my hair before she brought her lips to mine, pulling herself ever closer as our tongues brushed languidly. I knew that I would drop her if she tried to press herself any closer to me, so I regrettably broke from her. Her head rested against my chest which heaved in exertion as hers did.

"Good morning to you too…" Bella chuckled lightly as I carried her downstairs now that I had gained control on my breathing.

Once back at the house, I set her on her feet and watched her as she opened the front door, ready to vanish from me after the long night that we had spent together.

"I'll be back over in half an hour" she told me as she stepped into the house. I nodded my head and crossed my arms across my chest as I tried to savour the warmth that had seeped from Bella to me when I held her. "Edward…forgetting something?" her voice rang behind me with humour as I began to walk away. I turned on my heel to look back at her where she was stood in the doorway, watching me with warm eyes. The confusion on my face must have been clear enough for her to see as she gave a sigh and teased, "I could blow you a kiss, but I don't know if it would be good enough…" A sly grin crossed her face seconds before my feet moved of their own accord to her.

I cupped her face in my hands, relishing in her warmth before I bent down and captured her lips with mine. "See you in half an hour." I breathed against her lips once we broke apart, both of us grinning like fools.

I raced back into my house after watching Bella shut the door, and headed upstairs for a shower, letting my mind replay the whole of last night as I went through the motions of washing and drying.

The doorbell sounded around my house 25 minutes later as I paced the living room like a caged tiger, waiting for it to get to half an hour before I headed back over there and drag her out of the house.

I opened the door to find no one there. Perplexed, I quickly looked to the sides, wondering if it had been Bella and she was now hiding from me. "Hey!" Bella's ever familiar voice rang from a small distance away, where she was leant back on the side of my car. I quickly got out of the house and gave in to the strong pull that I felt whenever I saw her, as if one of us were a positive and the other a negative magnet.

"I hope you have a good appetite…" she grinned up at me as I reached her and stood right in front of her.

"I have and impeccable appetite" I chuckled before I pressed myself up against her, holding to her hips as I leant down to kiss her. I felt elated now that I could freely kiss her. The past few days had been odd, I hadn't really seen Bella in this light until yesterday when I realized that the reason that I had been so protective of her was because I wanted her to be mine.

I could feel her pulling me closer as she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling at me almost painfully. As our kisses became hungrier and desperate, I decided that I needed her closer. To rectify our height difference, I ran my hands from her hips to her thighs and gently urged her to move them. Thankfully she cottoned onto my intention and hitched her legs around my waist, locking them securely behind me.

A moan escaped her lips when I pushed against her to get a better hold on her. I captured her lips with mine once again, drowning in the feel and taste of her.

"Edward…what will the neighbours think?!" Bella gasped as I trailed kisses down her swan like neck.

"That I have a healthy appetite…" I grinned against her neck, holding in my laughter.

"Edward! Put me down, we have to go!" she ordered breathlessly as I tried to change her mind by continuing my onslaught on her neck. "I'll never cook for you again if you don't let me down!" She threatened, which instantly caused me to relinquish my hold on her.

"Was that just a play on words?" I asked her with my brow arched as I remained pressed against her, my face inches from hers.

"Nope" she grinned back up at me, planting her hands on her hips defiantly before she tilted her head up to brush her swollen lips to mine quickly.

"I guess that's my cue to get the car started?" I asked, taking a step away from her reluctantly.

"Sure is my man" she laughed as she shooed me away wither her flapping hands.

I walked around the car, telling myself to calm down after my heart picked up on her words, that she called me her man. I told myself that it was only in a joking manner, but my heart wouldn't listen, it was being sentimental.

Bella gave me the direction to the restaurant that she worked at, and within half an hour, I pulled up outside it. I realised that it wasn't too far from where my store was, only around a few corners. My mind was already running with future possibilities, like I could pop over to the restaurant to see her each night that she would be working after closing up my store.

She dragged me in after her, waving or greeting almost each person that she saw on our way to a booth beside the large window which looked out at the street. The restaurant looked very homely with its wooden interior, big roaring fire on the other end of the room which had a scatter of sofas for people to relax at.

"So what do you think? Do you like this place?" Bella asked from opposite me as my eyes continued to roam, picking up the odd black and white picture of the town and its long gone inhabitants.

"It's great" I grinned at her as I grabbed a sugar sachet and began to toy with it in my hands.

Our conversation flowed freely as we tried to guess between us how much Alice and Rosalie's engagement rings must have cost. I noted a movement in my peripheral vision and turned to see a blonde guy who was obviously a waiter, making his way over to our table.

Before I had turned my head to look back to Bella, I felt her tare the sugar sachet from my hands and entwine them. She gave me a desperate look as I gave her a questioning one. I gave my head a small nod just before the guy reached our table.

"Hey Bella…how's the time off going?" The guy asked, completely ignoring me.

"Fine thank you Mike" She answered kindly as her fingers began to rub my hands softly. "Mike, this is Edward, Edward, Mike" she introduced us, taking one of her hands from mine only long enough to indicate at each of us.

"Nice to meet you" I lied, knowing that this guy hat the hots for Bella and she was uncomfortable with it.

Once he had taken our order, he scurried away, throwing a glance at Bella over his shoulder as he went.

"So…want to tell me about your not so secret admirer?" I asked her, unable to hide my humoured smile.

"Edward! It's not funny!" she hissed at me as she pulled her hands away from mine. I quickly took back possession of her hands before they disappeared and rubbed soothingly over the back of them.

"I'm sorry" I said sincerely, sealing my apology with a kiss to the back of both of her hands.

"You're forgiven because I'm sure that you could kick his ass if it ever came to that" she grinned slyly back at me, batting her eyelashes. We laughed at her pitiful attempt of flattery and persuasion.

Mike returned some time later with our drinks and food, completely blanking me yet again. I remained indifferent, happy that the guy wasn't trying to hit on me as painfully as he was with Bella until she'd manage to signal another member of staff over to shoo Mike away.

"So, is he like this every time you're in work too?" I asked, shuddering at the thought of him trying to grind Bella down in order to get a date out of her.

"Pretty much, but there's this other chef that I work with, Ben, he's pretty cool and tells Mike where to go for me" she replied, sighing heavily.

"What's wrong, that's a good thing right? That you've got this Ben fighting your corner, or does he try to hit on you too?" I asked, getting increasingly worried that Bella was being constantly pressured at work.

"Ohhh god no, Ben's married to one of my friends Angela, he's cool" she told me, making me feel as if a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders. "It's just that I hate having to be all jumpy and nervous around Mike, just waiting for him to ruin our good conversation or my good day with asking me out." She explained, setting her knife and fork down and pushing her half eaten food away. I listened to the music playing in the background as Bella fell silent.

"_Though I've tried before to tell her  
Of the feelings I have for her in my heart  
Everytime that I come near her  
I just lose my nerve  
As I've done from the start__"_

My heart ached at the sight of her looking so peeved and helpless. From taking in the lyrics that I'd heard, an idea quickly came to my mind which I realized would be the perfect solution; I just hoped she did too. I pushed my plate out of my way as well and grabbed Bella's hands. She looked up at me with wary eyes before I asked her, "Would you be my girlfriend?" she remained silent, so I babbled on, "It would make sense, I really like you Bella, really, and I enjoy spending time with you, and if you were my girlfriend maybe Mike would take a step back and get the hint?" I finished my attempt of telling her how I felt about her disjointedly before lowering my head in nervousness as she remained still and silent.

"I like you too Edward…a lot" her voice caught my attention, making me look up at her. The both of us laughed at the childish, embarrassed voice that she'd used when she spoke. Once we finished laughing she squeezed my hands and spoke once again, "Edward, I'd love to be your girlfriend" she said in all seriousness before she leant over the table. I met her half way and kissed her tenderly, overwhelmed at the fact that she had accepted.

"Want to head home soon? See what the fiancé's are all up to?" Bella asked, holding onto one of my hands while she toyed with her hair with the other.

"Sure, I'll just go to the little boy's room first" I told her, giving her hand a squeeze before I left. On the way, I paid our bill. On the way back, I realized that Mike was practically leant over Bella as he stood at our table, one of his hands on the table and the other on the side of the booth, blocking her way out.

I marched over and just resisted the urge to physically harm the guy. Instead, I stood beside him, my arms crossed over my chest and a murderous look on my face. I cleared my throat to get his attention, which he thankfully wasn't too obtuse to notice.

"If you'd let my girlfriend have her personal space back, it would be greatly appreciated" I snapped. He took a step back looking amazed. I helped Bella out of the booth and then held her face in my hands before I began to kiss her deeply, in front of the creep just so he got the point. Bella responded just as enthusiastically, arching her back to press up against me.

A wolf whistle in the background caused us to break away. I turned to see a guy in chef whites being smacked on the back of the head, so I guessed that was him. "Ben…" Bella growled before she began to blush having realized that all the waitresses and waiters for that matter had stopped what they were doing to watch us. "Ohhh I'm so embarrassed" Bella groaned, unable to hide her face in my chest because I still held her face in my hands. I bent down to kiss her again. She resisted at first, probably mad at me, but she quickly got caught up in the kiss and matched me in its hunger.

"Edward! What did you do that for?!" Bella hissed as she jumped to a redder shade of bush as more people whistled along with Ben this time.

"I was trying to hide your embarrassment from them" I responded with a sly smile.

"Let's just pay and go back to the others" she ordered as she grabbed my hands. I told her that I'd already paid and received a smirk. "You know I could have got the bill halved because I'm an employee" She told me smugly as we headed to my car.

"Do you really think that that measly bill bothered me?" I asked as I hopped into the car.

"Suppose not…when you can afford to drive this beast!" she laughed as she buckled up.

"Honeys were ho-ome!" Bella sang as she hauled me in the front door after her before dragging me upstairs with her to the living room.

**Bella POV.**

The happy couples appeared a few minutes after our arrival, each with love drowned eyes and bed head.

"Love the hair ladies" I laughed at Alice and Rosalie who were trying to comb it tame with their fingers.

"Shut up and come and help us or something!" Rosalie snapped before she turned, slapped a smacking kiss on Emmett's cheek and pulled me down stairs after her. I stopped after a few steps and turned to see Alice sat beside Edward, showing him her ring. "Alice, put the ring down and step away from the poor guy!" Rosalie called as she realized what I had stopped to watch.

She gave a dramatic sigh before she jumped up, kissed Jaspers neck and followed us to Rosalie's room.

"What happened!? I saw you and Edward kissing this morning when I got up to…er…well…" Rosalie broke off as she threw two empty bottles of whipped cream to the bin in the corner of the room, "Lets just say that we're going to need more cream" she said simply before she stretched out on the L-shaped sofa in the corner of her room.

"You saw that?" I asked, blushing as I remembered how Edward had me pushed up against the car.

"Do you think I should go and check the paintwork? Maybe your butt chipped it?" she smirked at me, confirming my horror that she had seen it. I plopped down beside her and groaned as I buried my face in my hands. "Don't worry sweetie…that was one hot kiss" she complemented me as she patted my back.

"Damn…I can't believe I missed that!" Alice added from her post at Rosalie's desk where I supposed that she was replying to some e-mails or catching up on some of the article work.

"Working on the article Alice?" I asked as I stretched out on the sofa, resting my head beside Rosalie's as she copied me.

"Yeah….touching up some stuff, you know, so anyway, tell us about what happened last night? I saw Edward holding your hand after the proposals were all done!" Alice squealed in excitement as she span to face me on her swively chair, the laptop now converted to her lap.

"You looked away from your ring for long enough to notice little old me and Edward?" I asked in a mocked shocked voice before she threw a sharp, yet playful 'shut-up' at me.

"He held my hand when we recording the proposals and didn't let go until it was all over and he started to wipe my tears away." I told them as I remained flat on my back, staring at the ceiling of Rosalie's room.

"I saw that! It looked so cute" Rosalie declared before adding an "Awww" as I supposed that she recalled the moment in her mind.

"Anyway, soppy lovebirds…" I began before I silently thanked them for the blessing of their silence as I took them through the rest of the night. Being in the kitchen, Edward hugging me and reassuring me, then pressing up against me and kissing me with so much passion and eagerness. Then there came Emmett's interruption where Rosalie expressed her aggravation and sorrow for me by voicing a few explicit words. Finally I got to the bit where Edward carried me back to his house, kissed me again and the icing of the cake of us sharing a bed.

**Alice POV.**

I sat, astounded, typing silently in shorthand while Bella spilled forth the information to Rosalie and me as if we were her therapists. I finally realised, that after many doubts, that our article may well end up working and the pair would fall in love.

Once Bella was done, telling us about last night, she declared that she was heading back to her house for the night to check that it was still standing. Rosalie and I both noted that she went out of her way by going upstairs before coming back down and farwelling us. "See you later guys! Don't work too hard!" She laughed as she shrugged on her coat and slipped on a pair of shoes.

"Hey, why don't you stay and tell us what happened with you and Edward today?" I asked, my finger poised over the keypad, ready to type.

"Sorry ladies, but that is most definitely a story for another day!" she laughed before she swept out of the house dramatically. I heard her curse a few seconds later, so I guessed that she must have tripped on the steps or something.

I turned back the notes of information that Bella had given us and began to decipher it, turning it into an article.

_**Day 6.**_

_Get your sunglasses out readers because Pixie Cupid and Sexy Cupid have a dazzling rock each on their fourth fingers!! Yes they do! They're engaged!! The evening was perfect for us Cupids, but you don't want to hear about that, you want to hear about what happened to our subjects, Edward and Bella….sure you say now, "but I want to hear more about how your boyfriends proposed!" (Sigh) readers…you really do want to hear about Edward and Bella, here's why._

_With two simultaneous proposals in a swanky hotel, with our other half's declaring their undying love; Bella became emotional and teary eyed. Cue Edward to save the day! They held each others hands as they recorded the proposals and then once it was done, Edward turned to Bella and dried away her tears for her. Maybe we Cupids are reading too much into this, but no man who didn't have feelings for a woman would take the time to dry their eyes for them would they?_

_After arriving home, the happy group settled down with some celebratory champagne and watched the videos back. Edward, ever the gentleman, once again held Bella's hand as the emotional barriers fell. Bella's emotional barrier hadn't been built back up fast enough by the time Bella got the 'Always the bridesmaid, never the bride' jitters, which Edward noticed._

_Ever the one to avoid a scene, Bella escaped down stairs, practically unnoticed, except by Edward who followed her. What we will tell you now, came from a blushing Bella…_

_He followed her downstairs, which shows that he cares for her from that simple action. Once in the dark kitchen, he finds her, envelopes her in a hug and comforts her while she pretends that everything is okay. After finding out Bella's insecurity of being alone, Edward runs his hands up Bella's arm, to her neck, before he starts to stroke her bottom lip with his thumb. (Deep breath's ladies…remember during the next bit that you can use this magazine as a fan to cool yourselves!)_

_What we have been waiting to happen since yesterday, happens. They kiss!! According to Bella, it wasn't some feeble kiss either! He had her pressed up against a wall, kissing her enthusiastically and passionately with an intensity that made her knees go weak. She told us how she didn't want it to stop, but Sexy Cupids fiancé!! walked in and interrupted their 'moment'._

_With Sexy Cupid's house turning into a love shack for the night, the fiancée in question redeems himself by suggesting that Bella seek a silent haven at Edwards place for the night. How could she refuse?! So she accepts Edwards offer of a bed while he, the gentleman the he is damn him…offers to take the sofa._

_He carries her bridal style to his house, (again!) and once inside, presses her against the door for another fiery kiss. What a lucky lady! To be pounced on by a gorgeous man that can make a woman's knees go weak just by looking at him!!_

_Like we said, Bella went to his bed while he took the sofa, but in the middle of the night Bella gets cold and heads downstairs to Edward. She thankfully decides to show Edward how cold her hands are, which urges his protective instincts into motion. He leads her upstairs…urges her into bed…then slides in beside her…then nothing…_

_Only kidding! Bella twines her cold feet with Edwards before he pulls her to him, allowing her to lay against his toned, hard, chiselled (we imagine) chest. After giving her cold nose a kiss, they both sail away to the nod. Romance in a nutshell!!_

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Review for me people!!

**Okay! I know, 3days later and ta-da…not my best I know, but I had HUGE troubles with this chapter. I had the notes, but couldn't get the drive to get it done! Forgive me if it's as dull as dishwater! **

**As a result of my tepidness to this chapter, 'I Can Feel It' – a soppy one-shot was born, and my baby 'Vision Of A Lifetime' was updated, so I have been a busy-bee regardless. **

**For those of you who haven't read my one-shot, go check it out AND REVIEW (please!? ;)! Its pure fluff and Edward the gentleman. It'll pass the time for you until my next update ha-ha! (EGO!) :P**


	10. Steamy Start

_**Stephenie Meyer - A God? Apparently not…but she created the Twilight Universe.**_

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The chapter's song is…'Freestyler' by Bomfunk MC'S._(Listen to it!! Give it time to kick in, and then I'll be amazed if you don't get totally obsessed by it! Total late 90's tune of my early teens!)_

**Bella POV.**

I woke up earlier than usual to find myself cold, even with my blanket tucked around me securely. I sighed in aggravation. Deep in my mind, I knew why I felt it so cold, because I didn't have a strong, hard and warm body to splay over as I'd had last night.

After much tossing and turning, I gave up and got out of bed to take a long hot shower which I could enjoy in peace seeing as neither Alice or Emmett had come back with me last night, which was fine by me, I rather that they be happy and spend their time with their love's.

A good half an hour later, I stepped out of the shower and wrapped up in warm bath towels to savour the warmth that I had absorbed from the hot water. I ran a dripping hand over the steamed bathroom mirror and saw my flushed face looking back. I knew that I should open the window to let some steam out before the puddles of condensation water settle, but I opted not to, and savour the warmth for a change.

As I hung my head upside down, towelling it frantically in a vain attempt to dry it faster, I heard the doorbell echo from downstairs. I stood back up quickly, dropping the towel on the floor as I frantically wondered who would be calling this early in the morning. I glanced at my watch that sat on the sink and found that it wasn't quite 8am yet.

I tentatively opened the bathroom door; letting rolls of steam follow me out. Goosebumps rose all over the exposed skin on my arms, legs and back especially with my still wet hair hanging over my shoulders. The doorbell sang again when I was halfway down the stairs, telling me that the person on the other side of the door was being persistent, probably for a reason. I wondered if something had happened to my friends, to Freya… at that last thought, my heart ached for the little baby, so I ran the last few steps to the door. As I lurched open the door, I told myself not to break down if there was a police officer there, they usually only carried bad news.

"Edward?" I asked in disbelief as I stared at him, stood there looking like some bygone Greek god. I noted that he held flowers in his hands, but I was too pissed to take much notice of them. I turned on my heel as he just stared at me, and marched back into the house, to the warmth, leaving him in the open doorway.

I prepared a cup of coffee for myself and Edward, hoping that he'd stay regardless of my rude greeting. I sighed as I realised that I needed to explain to my boyfriend why my greeting had been frosty, he'd had me worried.

"Bella?" Edward called weakly from within the doorway which he had thankfully closed.

"Over here Edward!" I called, as I stirred the coffees. I heard his footfalls and the sound of him setting the flowers on the kitchen table behind me, but I didn't turn to look at him. I waited for him to speak first, hopefully telling me how he found my house and why he was here so early.

The silence between us lingered and the only sound I could hear was that of the spoon hitting the sides of the mugs, causing little 'tinks' of sound as I stirred the coffee. I felt goose-bumps rising on my skin once again as I felt a warm breath at the back of my neck. I stilled my stirring and pushed the mugs away from the side of the counter, letting my hands rest there to support myself as Edwards breath continued along my shoulders and to my ear.

"I bet you don't know how good you look right now…" his husky breath tickled my ear as he whispered. An involuntary shiver ran through me as I felt his hands at my neck, sliding my hair to one side.

I gripped onto the counter in front of me tighter as his lips pressed against the nape of my neck softly. I told myself that I could handle this, until his tongue began to flicker along my skin, working torturously with his lips.

His hands found my hips and held them for a few moments as he continued kissing hot trails over my exposed shoulders, before he moved them to rest on top of my hands on the counter. His movement had caused him to press closer to me, thankfully allowing me to rest back against his chest and stop his onslaught on my shoulders and neck.

He twined his fingers in mine, still keeping them on top, securing my hands on the countertop. I realised as I tried to move my hands to touch his hair, that he wouldn't let my hands go, they were unusable in his hold.

My heart beat even faster as I felt his nose running slowly from my shoulder, along my neck and to my hair. "You smell incredible…you're really wetting my appetite you know…" he whispered in the same husky voice that he'd spoken in earlier. My heart dared to jump out of my chest as I realised what he was saying. He'd picked up our play on words from yesterday and was insinuating another form of hunger.

I turned my head to the side, stretching to look at him and find his lips while his hands still held mine captive. I wet my lips as I stared into his eyes which were thick with lust which he was stirring rapidly in my body. He cracked his breathtaking smile at me before he thankfully ended the torture and leant his head down to press his lips to mine.

In an instant, his hands left mine and encircled my waist, locking me to him, while I held myself steady with one arm joining his. I reached my other hand to Edward's neck to keep him where he was.

Our kisses became increasingly desperate as our tongues ceased their stroking and opted to battle. My back arched from him as his hands began to roam from their tame spot at my waist to my hips, keeping me pressed tightly against his growing arousal.

Edward's mouth broke from mine, his heavy breathing matching mine exactly. "Edward…" I gasped as I felt one of his hands reach down to stroke the side of my bare mid thigh.

Seconds after gasping his name, he released his hold on me and his kisses and turned me to face him, his hands on my shoulders. I stared up at him in confusion as I blindly tugged at my towel, making sure that it was still secure.

"Bella…" Edward breathed as he took a step to me and hugged me to him, resting his forehead against mine. "I wasn't supposed to lose control like that…I only meant to tease you a little…" he admitted while he stared into my eyes, tucking some stray strands of hair behind my ear.

"Well…your wicked plan came back to bite you on the ass didn't it" I managed to smile at him even while he stared intensely down at me. His breaths mingled with mine as we both struggled to calm down our hazardous breathing.

"Mmmm-hmmm" he agreed with me sincerely while I felt one of his hands sliding lower from the middle of my back. He gave me a wicked smile as his hand clamped on my butt, pressing me against him. I tried, but failed miserably at suppressing my groan.

"Don't even say it Mr." I told him as sternly as I could manage as I felt his other hand join the first at my but where he squeezed and rubbed.

"Say what?" he asked with a twinkle of humour in his eyes, telling me that he knew what I was getting at. I arched my brow at him, a silent message that he understood to mean, 'cut the crap, you know'. "What? That I wouldn't mind biting your ass?" he laughed while I rolled my eyes at him. "Are you a mind reader?" he asked laughing as he moved his hands away from my butt, to where they had been before, at my back.

"So, would you mind telling me how you found my place?" I asked once he'd finished his laughing and safely rested his chin on my head.

"I wanted to see what your bedroom looked like" he whispered in a serious voice while his hands rubbed my back softly.

"What?" I asked as I jerked my head back from under his and looked at him quizzically.

"You saw my bedroom, now I want to see yours" he replied in a childish voice as he unfairly dropped his hands from me and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Fine, follow me…" I sneered, matching his childish act which I was rewarded with a humoured smile.

Half way up the stairs, Edwards pained voice behind me scared me, "Ohhh god." He drew out as his head bent to look at the steps.

"Edward what is it?" I asked as I reached a hand to his.

"I shouldn't have teased you earlier, this is torture" he told me before he reached up and gave my butt a light smack.

I grinned back at him deviously, understanding his problem. He gave me a pleading look, which told me that he knew what I was about to do. "Bella…please don't, you know I won't be able to look away…" he told me desperately before I arched a brow at him and shrugged my shoulders as an act of indifference. For the rest of my walk up the stairs, I swayed my hips, ensuing a torn growl from Edward behind me who muttered "Evil, evil" behind me just loud enough to hear.

He followed me to my bedroom and plopped down on my bed, his eyes darting around taking in as much as possible while I went through my closet to find something to wear.

"What are we doing today?" I asked him as I searched the closet.

"Painting" he answered quickly. I noted that his voice had moved, and ultimately himself. I turned to find him scanning though my books.

"You have fun at the library while I go change" I told him with a smile before I headed back to the bathroom.

I locked the bathroom door behind me and got changed, while I wondered why Edward hadn't told me the real reason that he'd come over so early. After dressing in an old pair of jeans, a ragged t-shirt and an old hoodie, I went back to my room to find Edward lying on the bed, on his side, facing me, faking sleep.

I sighed heavily as I waited for him to scare me by jumping up suddenly. I inched closer to the bed, but he still didn't move. I gently lay down on the bed beside him, never taking my eyes off of him for a second. I frowned down at him after a few moments as he still hadn't moved. I began to wonder if he had in fact fallen asleep.

"Edward…Edward…" I whispered beside him, inching close enough to now take note of the dark circles underneath his eyes that I had been too distracted to notice before. I lay on my side as he was doing, facing him and gently leant over to press my lips to his. I gasped in shock as I felt his arm suddenly move to wrap around my waist, pulling me close to him. I noted that his eyes remained closed, with a frown on his brow. He pulled at me again after he had moved to lie on his back so I gave into his unconscious demand and lay against his chest. I heard his sigh and looked up to see the frown disappear from his face before I lay back down and caught up on the sleep which I had been denied this morning.

"Morning Beautiful" and angelic voice came from nearby, dragging me out of my hazy sleepy state. I let out a satisfied sigh at the feeling of familiar lips pressing against my forehead.

"How long were we out for?" I yawned as I snuggled closer to his warm, intoxicating body.

"About three hours" he yawned back at me, stretching as he did so, causing me to get off of his chest and rest on my elbow. I watched him as he scrunched his eyes closed and yawned like some ferocious lion while stretching his arms above his head, showing off the lower part of his stomach.

"Like what you see?" he asked arrogantly before he began to laugh. I rolled my eyes at him, not willing to let the smug man get any satisfaction from me admitting that I did.

"It's only fair I guess…I got to see you looking appetising in your bath towel…" he began as he started to inch his shirt up slowly, exposing an extra inch after inch of his chiselled chest. I knew that I would probably pass out or something from the sight of his whole chest, and I knew that he was doing it to tease me, so I jumped up and got off the bed, turning my back on him.

"You're not as irresistible as you think Mr Ego" I smirked at him as he smoothed his shirt back down before getting up with a defeated look on his face.

"I can always change your mind girlfriend, of mine" he whispered as he passed me, giving my hand a squeeze before he began to head down stairs.

I followed him soon after, while I smiled like a fool at his words. I couldn't quite put my finger on it but the way he said it made is sound possessive, adding to my title of being a girlfriend.

I halted at the kitchen door as I took in a grinning Edward holding out the bunch of flowers that he'd bought me earlier. I stepped up to him and took them from him as he held them out to me. "You didn't have to get me anything Edward…" I blushed as I inhaled their beautiful scent.

"You're my girlfriend, I don't need any excuse to buy you gifts" he answered as he grabbed my chin, inclining my head up to meet his. He pressed a tender kiss to my lips before he stepped back. I thanked him before I got out a vase, filled it with water and settled my flowers in it.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" I turned and asked him as I patted my empty stomach. He shook his head 'no' seconds before his stomach growled. "The beast needs feeding!" I laughed as I got the frying pan out and bacon, sausages, eggs, bread for toast and more.

"Beast I may be, but I'm your beast" Edward declared in a smug tone. I turned to see him sat at the table, watching me while I worked. He blew me a kiss which I made a show of catching before I turned back to working on our breakfast.

I sat back after finishing my food, watching Edward polish off his massive plate and the two pieces of my toast which I couldn't manage.

"You do have a healthy appetite…" I commented with a sly grin as he placed his knife down on his plate with a satisfied smile on his face.

"I sure do sweetheart!" he laughed. His term of endearment made me smile even more as stupid as it sounded.

I cleared the table, and washed the dishes with Edward as he finally admitted the reason that he was over here so early.

"I couldn't sleep properly, the bed felt empty after the night before, so I figured that I'd come over here and see you." He told me with a shrug to his shoulders. "And Alice gave me the directions last night by the way" he added with a grin before he leant down and gave my cheek a smacking kiss. "And aren't you glad she did!" he laughed after.

"Sure, sure" I sighed, faking indifference. I then admitted to him that I was glad that he'd come over and that I had been up so early for the same reason.

Once the dishes were done and the kitchen tidied, we headed to Edwards car to go to his house to do some painting.

We soon got to his house and made our way to the kitchen. "So Picasso…where do I start?" I asked him as I looked down at the tins at my feet. Edward picked up a tin of white paint, popped the lid off of it and handed me a paint brush.

"You can start on the skirting boards in the living room, da Vinci" he told me as he popped open the lid of another tin and brandished his own paintbrush before he told me, "I'm going to do the doorframes"

The both of us painted while music blared from the kitchen to drown out the sound of the decorators upstairs who were hanging wallpaper in the guest bedrooms and chatting away like old women.

My phone began to ring after a long while of painting. I checked the clock on my cell and found that it was 4pm already and that it was Alice on the line.

"Hey Alice, what's up?" I asked as I sat back on my heels and set my paintbrush down on the tin-lid.

"_Rose and I were thinking that we should go out tonight, maybe to that club in town?"_ she asked.

"Sure, I'm game, let me ask Edward too hold on…" I held the phone away from me while I called Edwards name. He appeared seconds later in the doorway, careful not to touch the frames.

"You called?" he asked as he brushed his hair from his eyes, unknowingly to him, leaving a white paint mark along his brow.

I choked back my laughter and asked him normally, "Do you want to come out with us tonight? We're heading to a club in town…" I asked as I pointed to my cell, indicating that two of our 'us' group was on the other end of the line.

"Sure, if your there, I'm there" he told me simply with a smile before he turned and headed back to his painting.

"Hey Alice? Edward's game…" I told her, hearing a squeal in the background.

"_Ohh my god, that's so cool, so pop over when we get home, see you later amigos!"_ she hung up without waiting for another word from me. I shrugged my shoulders and slipped the phone back into my pocket before I turned back to the painting.

Getting into the classic song that was playing on the radio 'Freestyler', I didn't hear Edward as he advanced behind me. The first sign I got of him being behind me was the confusing 'drip, drip' sound which was accompanied with a light tapping sensation on my shoulder. I turned around to find Edward holding a dripping paintbrush over my shoulder, grinning down at me slyly.

"Hey there…" he greeted me before he knelt down beside me and smeared paint over my shoulder where the drips had been.

"What was that for?" I asked as I reached for my own brush, hoping that he wouldn't see me.

"You didn't tell me that I had paint on my face earlier…" he answered me before he dropped his brush on the dustsheet and pounced at me, pinning me to the floor beneath his body.

I looked up, above me to see that my paintbrush was mere inches from my hands which were over my head. Unfortunately, Edward spotted it at the same time and began to inch his hands up along my arms, pressing closer to me with every inch that he reached. By the time his hands had reached mine, I was gasping for air, my heart beating excitedly in my chest like a drum.

"What were you going to do with that paintbrush Bella?" Edward breathed his question to me as his face hovered inches from mine while his hands clamped onto mine, our fingers twining.

"I er…pass…next question please…" I answered him with a sheepish smile while my eyes remained fixed on his lips.

"Can I kiss you Bella?" he asked softly, his head inching closer to mine. I gave my head a weak nod while I squeezed his hands. He carried out his request and pressed his lips to mine gently while my back arched against him, a moan stumbling from the back of my throat.

I felt my hands being transferred to being held by one of his as his tongue met mine and caressed tenderly. His free hand met the exposed skin of my waist where it began to slowly roam higher and higher, up to my ribs. I arched my back against him once again, praying that his hand would find the final destination that I craved and jutted out for him to take.

"Helloooooo…" A voice came from the distance, causing Edwards hand to halt at the hem of my bra and his mouth to freeze against mine. My breathing came in short sharp bursts as the seconds ticked by. I looked to Edward who had now released my arms and was hovering above me on his forearms, looking away from me, towards the stairs.

"Hi…" he answered the distant voice, which now seemed nearer.

"We've er…finished one of the rooms…so we were going to call it a day…and do the other one tomorrow…sorry to disturb…" I blushed as I realised that the painters had seen us. They walked past us and out of the house silently after Edward told them that it'd be fine.

I felt him drop his head to my chest, breathing heavily as I was while I hid my face in my hands as the last guy walked out of the house, shutting the door behind him.

"Bella…" Edward laughed, shaking my body along with his. I gave into his persuasive voice and dropped my hands from my face, to smile sheepishly at him as he lifted himself back up on his forearms and grinned at me.

"That was embarrassing…" I stated the obvious while he stared down warmly at me.

"You're too irresistible for your own good…" he whispered against my lips before he kissed me softly, then groaned and got up. "I should get this lot cleaned up, why don't you head next door, I think I heard Alice and Rosalie arrive home." He told me as he ran a hand through his hair before he held out a hand out to me and helped me up.

I thanked him then held his face in my hands. "I'll see you soon then…" I grinned at him before I kissed him and headed out of the front door, hoping that the painters had already left to save me any more embarrassment.

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**Okie dokie…so a lot of fluff in this chapter, just because I can and because it would have been pretty boring otherwise!**

**The club scene next… (hides under blanket) sorry in advance!! :D **

**So, on with the reviews and on with the chapters!! **


	11. Q And A OK

_**Stephenie Meyer - A God? Apparently not…but she created the Twilight Universe.**_

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The chapter's song is…' Q and A O.K' by Open Door Policy.

**Bella POV.**

I thanked Mother Nature silently as I walked from Edward's house to Rosalie and Jasper's, as the cool autumn air cooled my flushed cheeks down considerably.

"Hey guys!" I called from the hallway, noting strewn briefcases and coats which told me that everyone was home.

"Food Bella, food!" Emmett chanted from the top of the stairs before he ran down them, stopping in front of me with pleading eyes.

"Come on then big guy, what do you want?" I asked as I took his paw like hand in mine and walked with him to the kitchen while he told me how many kids he'd tortured today.

"And he started crying?" Jasper asked ten minutes later as he and Emmett sat eating their grilled cheese sandwiches, while I washed up.

"I only passed him the ball, but yeah, he fell and started crying!" Emmett laughed after finishing off his last bite.

"Life saver cookie!" Emmett complemented me as I took his empty plate from him and headed back to the sink.

"You haven't called Bella cookie in years!" Alice's declaration came from the doorway where she was dressed in her mid thigh bathrobe. Emmett shrugged in answer before he go up, declaring that he was going to be a good boy and get ready for tonight before Rosalie could get the chance to tell him off.

"I heard that!" Rosalie called from her room as Emmett slipped out of the kitchen.

I finished washing up and turned to find Jasper stood in front of Alice, toying with the tie of her robe while whispering in her ear. "Jazz…I've laid your clothes out on the bed for you…" she told him simply before she reached up on her tip toes and kissed him quickly.

"Sprite…" Jasper muttered with a grin before he headed upstairs.

"So Bella…do tell about yesterday! Rosalie saw you and Edward…so I want to know everything!" she demanded excitedly as she plopped down on a chair at the dining table.

I sat opposite her, knowing that I wasn't getting out of this so I might as well spill it all to her now in the hopes that she would tell Rosalie everything after and wouldn't want a first hand recount from me later as well.

I went through the whole day with her, from the moment I woke up with Edward, to the kiss that Rosalie witnessed, Edward asking me to be his girlfriend and the rest up until the point that we got back into their company.

"That sure was something huhhh?" Alice asked mainly herself from the dreamy look in her eyes.

"Yup…so anyway…are you going to start my torture yet or what?" I asked as I got up from the dining table, indicating with my thumb to Rosalie's room.

Alice got up after me, grinning as she laughed, "Darling, I thought you'd never ask!"

Just as I was about to knock on Rosalie's door, Emmett stepped out looking slightly flustered with his messed up shirt and hair. "Alright there bud?" I asked him as he grinned sheepishly at us.

"Huhh? Ohh yeah, bright as a daisy…" He grinned as he walked away, heading up stairs as if he were in a trance.

"Rosalie, what did you do to him this time?" Alice sighed as she led the way, shaking her head disapprovingly, into Rosalie's room.

**Rosalie POV.**

"I'm going to go hang out with the guys while you finish your hair" Bella told us as she inched toward the door, free to go now that we had transformed her.

"'Kay" Alice responded in a bored voice while she typed hastily on her laptop as I styled her hair.

Once I heard the sound of my bedroom door close and Emmett and Jasper whistling at Bella, I knew I was safe to ask Alice what she was typing up now.

"Bella spilled everything about yesterday to me earlier while you were convincing Emmett to be the designated driver" She informed me as she saved her document and I finished styling her pixie hair into perfect spikes.

"Did she now?" I asked with an excited grin tugging at my lips as Alice got off the chair in front of the mirror and swapped roles with me. She handed me her laptop once I had sat down and started on my hair while I read through the latest instalment of gossip.

**Day 7.**

_On this seventh day, Sunday, the day of rest, we are glad to announce...that there was hardly any!! A measly Sunday was transformed to a mega milestone for our couple and of course in turn, this article. We Cupids are in 7 heaven at the moment, relishing in the excitement of this article and the development between our Edward and Bella. Here's why,_

_Bella woke up to the enticing view and feel of Edward in the morning, with his arms wrapped around her and her snuggled into his chest. In Bella's own words, at the time she felt, "Protected, safe and warm." Now then, now then! Isn't that just about all we would have wanted to feel from being in the arms of a perfect guy like Edward? (Except maybe to feel the presence of the L word…and something a little raunchier?) _

_After the both of them woke up, apparently void of any slightest trace of embarrassment, they agreed that they would go for breakfast at the place where Bella works. We ask you readers, isn't it normal for a couple to feel slightly embarrassed in each others company after having slept closely together all night? Wouldn't you feel a little apprehensive that your hair was a mess, or your eyes were puffy? Yes, that's what we thought! Maybe there's something in that!? Let's hope so!_

_We have found that the Gentleman in Edward doesn't seem to take the day off on Sundays, because as soon as he realises that Bella has nothing on her feet, he picks her up into his arms, yet again ready to carry her back over to Cupid's home. Even the mention of morning breath doesn't deter Edward from his objective of kissing Bella…could he get any more perfect!? _

_After carrying Bella to the door of Cupid's house, Bella admitted how she felt apprehensive at him leaving, having spent so much time in his company, so our little darling coaxes Edward into another kiss before they break away for half an hour to get showered and changed._

_Ladies, maybe you should take the batteries out of your smoke alarms for the next part (Believe us, we wouldn't suggest this if we didn't think that you would combust from the blazing nature of what's coming up!) (Also we should maybe add that anyone with a weak heart skip this next bit...) Read on at your own risk!!_

_Sexy Cupid had the benefit of witnessing this saucy scene with her very eyes, therefore, there is no doubt that the following, really did happen. Picture the scene with us; go on…we'll help you… Imagine Kirsten Stewart (The Messengers, Undertow…) as Bella and Robert Pattison (Harry Potter) as Edward. Got it? Good._

_Bella is leant against the sexy Vanquish, waiting for Edward, who steps out of his house and comes to meet her. He stands close in front of Bella… and they begin to talk about Edward's 'appetite'…let's just say, sexual innuendo! They inevitably begin to kiss after the flirting, and my god did they kiss! Bella had her arms around Edwards neck, pulling him tighter to him as she arched back against the car. Thankfully, Edward stepped up his game and sorted out the uncomfortable look of things by getting Bella to wrap her legs around his waist. _

_By now, Bella was blushing scarlet, especially when she mumbled out to me the fact that Edward pressed himself up against her, making her moan!! Talk about a PDA!! They took the Public Display of Affection to another level dear readers!_

_As they say, all good things must come to an end, that was partially what happened next. They broke away and headed off to Bella's restaurant. _

_Now, we should name and shame the fellow who works with Bella, ever the persistent and annoying one that asks her out at any given chance, which is never appreciated, but we'll just call Mike Newton 'M' for this chapter…woops! How did his name slip in there!? (Pixie Cupid rolls her eyes at her carelessness.)_

_We must really thank M for his annoying attribute of asking Bella out and flirting with her constantly, because this is what gave Edward the incentive to ask Bella TO BE HIS GIRLFRIEND! But, did she say yes? What a stupid question, how could she turn down such a thing! As from that moment, Edward and Bella are now boyfriend and girlfriend! (Ladies, go ahead and insert your squeals….) _

_For the icing on the cake, when Edward returns to Bella after going to the little boy's room, he finds M cornering Bella, attempting miserably to flirt with her. The Gentleman in Edward thankfully steps aside for the moment to let Protective Edward step up. After an icy glare at M, he steps back and lets Edward's girlfriend have her personal space back. Just to rub it in M's face; Edward pulls Bella to him and kisses her passionately in front of M and the gawping crowd. What's that? You like Protective Edward? We do too!!_

_After that kiss and an audience, Bella blushes and Edward thankfully saves her from anymore, by kissing her again to hide her flushed cheeks! What a genius idea! After showing all that they are a couple, they head back to Cupid's house, where Bella unknowingly spilled all of the above to us Cupids. With the mega milestone of our subjects becoming a couple having been achieved, we hope that the finally hurdle will be overcome and that they will declare their love for each other soon!_

"Alice darling you've done it again!" I laughed as I closed the laptop, amazed by how good the article was. "Superb" I added, accentuating Alice's proud grin. "I can't believe they're a couple…this article might just work out you know…" I told Alice with conviction, confidence rising in me after reading the latest article instalment.

**Edward POV.**

I'd had enough of waiting around alone, watching the paint dry…literally, so I headed next door, my heart accelerating from the mere though of seeing Bella again.

I rang the doorbell and was greeted by Rosalie, who even with a full head of curlers, looked radiant. "She's right up those stairs lover boy!" She told me as she closed the door, rolling her eyes. She hadn't even given me the chance to ask for Bella. I wondered if I was that obvious, was my eagerness to see her that clear on my face.

"How do you know I'm here for Bella? Maybe I came to see you!" I teased with a chuckle.

She rolled her eyes at me once again, but more dramatically, being a sport by joining in with the joke. "Edward please! My fiancée's just up those stairs!" she managed to recite through a bout of laughter.

"Rose, I'm sorry, it's those curlers…you look so irresistible with your hair all…" I was lost for words as to how to describe her hair, so I opted to simply indicating to it.

"Thank you Edward…Did you know that Alice complemented me by telling me that my hair looked like a birds nest!" She gushed out, feigning shyness.

I gave Rosalie a fake devastated look as I mumbled out, "A bird's nest…damn, Alice has the best compliments…"

She laughed with me and patted me on the back complementing me on my sense of humour before she slipped back into her room and I ascended the stairs.

"Bella! Go say hi to your boyfriend already!" Emmett ordered in an over the top girly voice as I made my way to them in the living room.

Bella rolled her eyes, but got up regardless. "Sure thing, anything to get away from you…looser!" she teased back at him as she reached me.

Emmett and Jasper both feigned a shock look before Jasper spoke up in a bored voice, "Ahhh, kiss him already!"

Bella's musical laugh reached my ears, drawing my attention from the two childish guys, to the beauty in front of me. She was dressed in tight black jeans, a sparkling silver top and had a black jacket on. I noted that she seemed higher, closer to my lips, which wasn't a bad thing at all, until I realised why. She was wearing high heeled boots, which looked incredibly sexy but was a bad thing with her clumsy nature.

"Edward! Eyes back into your head dude!" Jasper called, laughing childishly with Emmett. I took their advice anyway and looked up to Bella who was biting her bottom lip nervously, while tugging at the hem of her top.

I leant my head down the short distance to her ear and breathed in the alluring scent of her while I hooked my index fingers into the belt loops at the front of her jeans and pulled her to me. I kissed her neck, just below her ear softly before I whispered, "You look good enough to eat…"

She seemed to melt at my words because she soon had her arms around my neck and was grinning up at me, telling me how she had survived the terror of Alice and Rosalie giving her a makeover. As I held her to me, my arms wrapped around her waist, I silently thanked Alice and Rosalie for transforming Bella into a sexy siren, but I also felt thankful that she didn't transform herself thus everyday or I'd forever be beating guys away from her. When Bella was natural, she was still beautiful and distracting, but not quite as much as she was tonight.

Two sets of wolf whistles from behind me distracted both Bella and myself from the conversation we were having. We both looked over to the stairs to find Rosalie and Alice jutting random poses while Emmett and Jasper whistled and cheered. "Thank you, thank you…" they both said with an exaggerated bow each. "Now let's hit the road!" Rosalie commanded, leading the way down the stairs.

I noted that the three women wore the same sort of outfit but Alice wore a vibrant green top and Rosalie a staggering red one.

Bella and Alice made their way down stairs ahead of Jasper, Emmett and I. Just as I was about to ask who was driving, Emmett spoke. "I'm taking us in the jeep guys…" I noted that he sounded unhappy about the idea.

"Hey, I'll drive if you want…do two trips…" I offered, not really bothered about getting drunk.

"Nahhh man, it's cool…Rose…persuaded me shall we say…" he grinned at me while Jasper announced that he was going to find Alice before he'd projectile vomit. He scurried away, obviously finding her by the squeal I heard coming from outside. I didn't ask for Emmett to carry on, but he did, "The things she can do with her hands…ohhh man…" he laughed as a dreamy look crossed his face.

I held my hand up to him, indicating that he stop talking. "Emmett, you really don't have to say anymore…" I told him as we reached the front door.

Emmett and I got out of the house, and as he locked it he whispered to me quickly, "Don't tell Jasper, but the things that Rose does to me with her hands I love so much, is massage my back" he grinned slyly. I rolled my eyes, wondering why I didn't see that twist coming earlier.

We all pilled into the jeep and made our way into town, heading for the club called Red Ribbon. I glanced at my watch as we headed for the entrance and realised that it was 9pm. "Watch this…" Bella whispered in my ear while we walked straight past the long queue of people waiting to get in and headed straight for the door.

The girls all dropped their hold on our arms and headed off ahead of us, arms linked together. As we reached two curious bouncers who had their arms crossed defiantly at their chests, I noticed that the girls were all strutting confidently toward them, showing no fear at the glares they were sending out.

"Dude, just ignore what they're about to do…" Jasper whispered to me as I gawped, transfixed on the seductive sway of Bella's hips. "And dude, a piece of advice, don't look at Bella…imagine you're here with Alice and she's your little sister or something…" I wondered what the hell he was talking about, until the scene unfolded in front of me.

"Hey Earl! How's it going tonight? Got any room for us and our brothers?" Rosalie asked as she pressed up against the bigger of the two guys, running a manicured finger over the guy's barrel of a chest. "Ohhh hey, Gray!" she added, waving at the other bouncer.

I held back my smirk as I watched Earl's glare melt away, to be replaced by what I guessed to be a seductive smile. "Sure sugar…but what's in it for me?" He asked, raising his brow I question.

I heard Emmett chuckle beside me as Rosalie took a step back from the bouncer, running her eyes slowly over his body while tapping her finger against her pouting lips in consideration. When her eyes travelled back up to the guys face, she gave him a sly smile as she declared, "A kiss…from each of us" she indicated to Alice and Bella as she spoke, who both grinned at the bouncer.

Rage built in me at the idea of Bella kissing that brute, just to get us into some measly club! "Calm down, these girls weren't born yesterday…" Jasper spoke quickly into my ear as Rosalie held her hand out to Earl to shake on the deal. I watched, frowning while Rosalie wrapped her arms around Earl's neck and brought her face ever closer to his. I blinked in confusion as she planted a smacking kiss to his cheek.

"What the…?" Earl frowned as Rosalie released her hold on him and Alice stepped up, planting a kiss on his other cheek. Finally Bella. With her added height, she managed to plant a kiss on the guy's forehead.

"You didn't specify anything about the kiss Earl…" Rosalie informed him as the other bouncer, Gray; laughed beside the door he was holding open for us. We all filed in, the girls victorious in their scheming.

"Its official, I'm marrying the devil!" Emmett laughed as he ran up behind Rosalie and hugged her to him.

"And I'm marrying the sidekick…" Jasper added as he took hold of Alice's hand and gave it a quick kiss.

"I guess that leaves me with the under cover angel…" I whispered into Bella's ear as I walked beside her, my arm around her waist. Her giggle was soon lost to the heavy base of the music as we made it through the hallway, to the club itself.

Emmett, Jasper and I were ordered to go in search of a table while the women demanded that they would take care of the drinks. Emmett and Jasper, knowing the club way better that me, led the way to a booth in the far corner of the place which overlooked the dance floor and the bar. I slipped in one side of the booth and Jasper took the other while Emmett swiped two chairs and set them at the end of the table and sat on one.

I noted a grave frown on Jaspers face as the three of us sat there in silence, waiting for our women to return. I was about to ask Jasper what was the matter, when Emmett broke the silence.

"They're at it again aren't they?" He asked as he inspected his nails in the dim light and jerked his head toward the bar. I raged as I looked over and noted that three young barmen were flirting with our women, unashamed and without the slightest hint of subtlety.

I wondered why Emmett and Jasper weren't getting as jealous as I was at the three guys flirting with our women; until I noticed the three beauties turn to wave at us. I saw that Bella had blown me a kiss, so I sent one back at her, not caring how soppy I might look. "Ohhh…look…poor feelas…" Jasper mocked a sympathetic voice as the barmen scowled and parted from the girls like the red sea.

A minute or so later, the girls got to our table and set down a tray which held beers, a Coke and glasses of wine. "Those suckers…" Emmett laughed as he pulled Rosalie into his lap. After planting a kiss on her shoulder he asked, "What did you get the drinks for this time?"

I wondered what he was talking about, but soon understood when Rosalie declared smugly, "Half-price".

"They said my ring was pretty when I showed them…" Alice announced from where she was sat beside Jasper.

"I bet they did sweetheart" Jasper grinned down at her before he held onto her left hand and kissed her ring.

"How did you get them off your back?" I asked Bella as she passed out our drinks to each of us.

"I told them that you were a hit-man…" she shrugged as she finished placing the last drink in front of Emmett which was the large glass of Coke.. The whole lot of us laughed at Bella's lie while smirking back at the barmen who kept throwing sulkily glances toward our table.

After a few rounds, some dancing and plenty of laughing we all got back to our table, each of us except for Emmett slightly glassy eyed. "Okay guys…we have to do this thing...where you answer questions…" Alice declared excitedly while she waved her drunken little arms around hazardously.

"Okay, hit-man…I mean hit me!" Bella called cheerily from beside me as she drank her glass of wine through a straw.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and moved a little closer to her. I was slightly drunk, but no where near as drunk as the girls were. "Edward…you're my boyfriend…" Bella slurred as she pushed away her wine and turned to stare up at me with a smile on her lips.

"I sure am honey…" I murmured back as I bent my head down to hers, itching to kiss her.

Alice's voice broke our moment, "Bella!" she called while giggling. "Have you ever kissed Emmett?!" She asked as she leant forward, resting her elbows on the table and propping her head up with her hands.

My agitation at Alice soon turned into curiosity as I looked down to Bella who was now toying nervously with the hem of her top, avoiding everyone's gaze. Looked to Emmett and saw him sitting back in his chair with a smug look on his face while he too waited for Bella to answer.

"Bella!" Alice called impatiently, waiting an answer.

"Yes okay, we've kissed!" She admitted before she hid her face in her hands and Emmett burst out laughing.

I wrapped my arms around Bella who was blushing wildly by now, while Emmett began to speak. "Rosie…don't kill me, it's an innocent story don't worry…isn't it Alice?" He added, raising a brow at her in a knowing way. My interest spiked as Alice gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, shaking her head back and forth lightly in denial.

"No…" Alice whispered with a deep frown on her face and a confused look in her eyes.

"Would someone please explain?!" Rosalie voiced my thoughts as she glanced between Emmett, Bell and Alice with a bored look upon her face.

"Okay!" Emmett grinned before he relaxed back in his chair once again and began. "We were all at Elementary school together, and so one day some kids decided that we should play kiss chase…so you know…I was game…" he shrugged while Rosalie rolled her eyes at him. "But, Bella here didn't want to play; she didn't want to loose her special first kiss to some geeky kid, so she wanted me to threaten every kid in school so they wouldn't kiss her…" Bella peeked her head up and gave Emmett a small smile before she snuggled back into my chest. From the smile she gave Emmett, I guessed that this story wouldn't end up as embarrassing as she remembered it to have been. "Well…I told her that I wasn't a miracle worker, so we bargained and I told her that if I kissed her first, then no one else would dare to because then she'd be mine." He finished, giving Bella a wink. "I'll never forget it hon…" he told her laughing, which caused Bella to laugh along with him.

"But what did that have to do with Alice?" Jasper asked as he rubbed Alice's back. She had her arms crossed on the table top and had her face hidden in them.

"Ahhhh yes…Alice…" Emmett sneered. "Well Alice here found out what I did for Bella and demanded that I kiss her too, because she wanted to have her first kiss on the same day as Bella…" he laughed as he crossed his arms across his chest looking very proud of himself.

Alice sat back up at the sound of Emmett's laughter and grinned at him as she admitted, "I forgot all about that till now…"

Ever the theatrical, Emmett smacked a hand to his heart and murmured, "You wound me!"

"So he was your firsts?" Rosalie asked Bella and Alice, indicating to Emmett. Both women nodded their heads while Emmett puffed out his chest proudly.

"Ha, ha! I've kissed all the women around this table!" Emmett smirked before he planted a kiss on Rosalie's lips.

The dark look that crossed Rosalie's face was enough to cause Emmett to shrink back a little in his seat. "Edward…my man…" Rosalie grinned slyly at me before she asked Bella something. She shrugged her shoulders seconds before I saw a flash of blonde and a set of unfamiliar lips crashed to mine. I held tighter to Bella from the shock and remained frozen even after Rosalie had taken back her seat beside Emmett. "Snap lover boy, I've kissed every guy around this table."

"Rose…you've always gotta go and spoil my fun…" Emmett sulked, causing her to fawn over him.

Bella pulled back from me and pouted as she asked, "So…?" with an eyebrow raised.

"So…?" I returned, wondering what train of thought she was on.

"Who kisses better?" She asked with the same curious expression on her face as it neared mine. My eyes locked on her pouting lips as I inched closer to her while my arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to me. I relished in the feel of her soft warm body in my arms as I pressed my lips to hers and kissed her tenderly. The feeling of her tongue tracing my bottom lip drove me wild and broke my control, causing me to pull her closer to me while my tongue battled with hers. Her moan disappeared to my mouth as she managed to straddle herself on my lap, jarring the table as she went.

"Hey! Break it up!" Emmett's voice broke through the fuzzy haze of my concentration while Bella's hands tugged at my hair, driving me wild. I reluctantly tore my mouth from hers, sensing that she wasn't going to. I was right in my thoughts as Bella continued to nip and suck down my neck while I breathed heavily, raking in the much needed oxygen.

"Bella…." Emmett drawled out, sounding like an un-amused parent. She quickly tore from me at the calling of her name and turned her flushed face to give Emmett an apology.

I helped her off my lap and grinned while Alice whispered, "That was hot!" Bella snuggled to me once again and drank her wine while she talked to Alice and Rosalie and I chatted with the guys.

As soon as I realised that Bella was yawning repeatedly, I drew it to the attention of the others where we all agreed to head back home. Bella was dead on her feet by the time we stepped outside and hit the fresh air, so I scooped her into my arms and carried her the short distance to the jeep. "Edward…you're so lovely…" Bella murmured as she stared up at me, her head resting on my chest and her hands toying with my shirt.

"You're lovely too sweetheart" I reassured her as she yawned once again.

We went on in relative silence, except for Alice and Jasper debating about which were cuter, kittens or puppies. "Edward…" I looked down to Bella's face once again as she whispered my name. I lowered my head to better hear her as her eyes began to steadily close. "I lo…" her word was cut off by yet another yawn. My heart slammed in my chest at the last words she had hardly spoken. I wondered what her drunken mind was going to admit, was she going to declare her love for me?

"What is it Bella…what were you going to say?" I whispered urgently, but as calmly as I could to her as I stroked her closed eyelids, urging them to open.

"I don't remember…I'm sleepy Edward…" she frowned with her eyes still shut and an adorable pout on her lips. I sighed, feeling uneasy in what I felt and wanted to hear from Bella. I had no idea what she was about to say, but my mind immediately jumped to the word love. I reasoned that that conclusion had come to me after Bella had called me 'lovely', but then noted the fact that we had gotten incredibly close in such a short time and it still didn't feel like enough, I always wanted more, I could never get enough of her.

Once back home, Emmett reassured me that he'd carry Bella to bed and look after her seeing as he was sober, so I could head home to bed. I thanked him and gave a sleeping Bella a quick kiss on her lips before I reluctantly turned to head to my home. "Edward, buddy…I'd let you stay and all, but after Bella jumped you like that earlier, I'd rather not risk it…sorry…" Emmett gave me a sheepish smile. I gave him a smile and nodded my head in understanding before I headed to my house, ready for a whole night of wondering what Bella's words would have been if she hadn't been interrupted by that yawn.

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Okay…a long chapter. I have to admit that the last few paragraphs weren't planned and were just written while on a sugar high when my 'brother from another mother' randomly walked into the room with Haribo's and Lemon Sherbets…so naturally, I had to nick a few off him...AND i know this was supposed to be a culb scene, and it kinda was, but i'm a drinking person, not a dancing person...so...there...;)

**Anyhow, the reviews are going great, and I'm glad that you all liked the fluffiness of that last chapter! Day 9 next…the end is nearing people!!…AND THEN I CAN START MY NEXT STORY!! It's going to be ace! Might put up a teaser at the end of one of the next chapters just to entice you! Ha-ha! Jeez I'm excited! Hope it's infectious! :D (On second thoughts, maybe my excitement came from the sweeties!! you call them candy?!)**

**Review for me people! Make me happy happy!**


	12. Maxin',Relaxin',Nothin' Too Taxin'

_**Stephenie Meyer - A God? Apparently not…but she created the Twilight Universe.**_

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The chapter's song is…'Day We Caught The Train' by Ocean Colour Scene. You have to listen to it, youtube it, it's a classic that I love and have randomly started singing upon waking up for the last 3days!

Random title to the chapter I know, but my sister made me do it, I was going to call it 'Colossal'.

**Edward POV.**

After a futile attempt of an alcohol based night of sleep, I got up and bustled around the house. I knew that the painters would be here to get cracking on the second guest room by 8am, so I headed downstairs for a coffee after getting dressed and awaited their arrival.

Halfway through my coffee, they arrived, slamming van doors and whistling enthusiastically outside. I trudged to the front door and opened it with a weak smile before the men filed in, carrying their trade tools.

"No Mrs today?" Asked the man who had interrupted Bella and me yesterday, with a curious look and a sly grin set on his face.

"It's a bit early…" I replied with a strained answering smile as I closed the door after them.

As I headed back to the kitchen to finish reading my paper, I frowned as I heard the jerk call to his workmates, "Probably worn out and still in bed lads!"

Their hyena cackles disappeared up the stairs and thankfully out of my earshot. I didn't need any added reminder of Bella this morning, not after the troubled night that I'd had, brooding over what she had been about to say and what my reaction would have been had she said the three little words that I suspected to hear.

I forbade myself from thinking any more on the subject and opted to read my newspaper, cover to cover until Bella arrived, if she would. I half hoped that she would remember what she was about to say, and half hoped that she wouldn't. If she were about to tell me that she loved me, was it really a good thing for her to do so when she was almost too drunk to stand?

The sound of the doorbell ringing in the background woke me from my sleep. I lifted my head from my arms which had acted as my pillow on the kitchen counter, and made my way groggily down the hallway to the front door. I didn't need to ask who it was, I didn't even need to look at my watch to check if it was 10 o'clock, I knew it was Bella on the other side of the door from the deep seated feeling that I had within me, like a sixth sense of sorts.

I opened the door to Bella who had a bright smile on her face and her hands stuffed into her coat pockets. Her loose, let down hair whipped around her face as she remained outside, instead of stepping in. "Good evening for last night because I was too far gone to say it then, and good morning for today!" she announced cheerfully, her smile still in place, before she pulled her hands from her pockets and took three small steps to me, wrapping her arms around my waist.

"Good morning…" I replied in a whisper, shocked that our first encounter of the day hadn't had a mention of the sentence which she failed to finish last night. As I hugged her back and kissed her forehead softly, I chastised myself for being so narrow minded and for having been disappointed just because our encounter was nothing like I had imagined in my dreams last night. I had envisaged dramatic declarations of love, embarrassing backtracking and even a passionate argument which ended up with us admitting our love for one another. My obsession with last night's event had foolishly marred my appreciation of Bella's warm greeting.

I released my hold on her slightly as she leant her head back from my chest to look up at me. "So…?" she began in a whisper with an arched brow. My heart rate increased a tenfold as my mind ran ragged with what she was about to ask me.

"So what?" I responded, probably looking like a fool as I feigned casualness by giving her a small smile.

"So…am I forgiven for my actions last night…I don't really remember how we got home, but I remember you picking me up when we got out of the club…" she confessed, ending her sentence with her head rested back against my chest and her cheeks flushing pink with embarrassment.

"You have nothing to need forgiveness for" I reassured her, wondering if I could add quickly, _'except for not finishing your sentence… would you care to tell me now what the end of "__I lo-" was going to be? It's jut that I was hoping for a better night's sleep tonight you see…__'_

I growled inwardly at my hidden frustration while Bella thanked me softly for being so forgiving. "You know, I do remember kissing you last night in the club…I'm sorry if I embarrassed you…" she whispered as she looked up to me, her eyes unsure.

"Bella…" I sighed before I wrapped my arms more securely around her body, holding her closer to me as I lowered my head to breath in her ear, "Did you hear me complaining at all? I told you before we left that you looked good enough to eat…" I grinned in victory as I felt her melt against me and her warm breath fanning across my neck.

I ran my nose slowly from her cheek to her nose and then stopped as I rested my forehead against hers. I grinned as I noted that she had her eyes closed and that her mouth was parted slightly, allowing her anxious breaths to mingle with mine. Deciding to put a halt to my own torture, I closed the gap between us and pressed my lips to hers, relishing in the softness and eagerness of her.

Her tongue darted out to seek mine before they began to stroke treacherously slowly while her hands moved from my waist to cup my face. I held onto her hips with my hands and manoeuvred us awkwardly until I managed to press her up against the outside wall of the house. The frosty autumn wind sliced at my bare skin as I was scantly dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt, but Bella's warmth pressed up against me evened the odds. Our passionate kisses soon subsided to chaste ones as we both struggled to continue with our laboured breathing.

"Edward! You're freezing!" Bella exclaimed some moments later after she had graced the base of my throat with a lingering kiss.

"I didn't see you complaining a few minutes ago…" I joked seconds before she roughly grabbed hold of my hand and forcefully pulled me into my house after her. She gave the front door a shove with her foot to shut it before she turned on me.

"Do you feel alright? Do you want some chicken soup or a hot water bottle?" she asked in a hurried, panicked voice which I found adorable while she placed the back of her hand against my forehead.

"I might feel a little off…why don't you be my personal hot water bottle?" I grinned mischievously, letting her know that I was perfectly fine while being able to tease her at the same time. I also held at the pathetic hope that she would accept my suggestion and curl up with me on the sofa for the whole afternoon.

"You're an adorable man Mr Cullen, but we need to get some work done today don't we?" She asked as she let her hands rest on my shoulders before adding in question, "I'm sure that we can cuddle up later tonight?" She finished her sentence at the same time that her hands settled on my chest.

"Go on then, you twisted my arm!" I laughed before planting a kiss on her nose and grabbing her hands into my grasp. Her satisfied grin reflected upon my face as I explained to her what I had planned for today.

"You do know that Alice will kill you for this and probably Rose too…" she warned me as she shoved her hands back into her coat pockets and made her way out of the house to my car. I shrugged my shoulders, not really caring if they would get annoyed at the fact that Bella and I were heading out to pick furniture for the house without their input. I explained to the painters where we were going and how long we would be and then I headed out to my car, where Bella was already sat waiting for me.

A while later, we arrived at the colossal furniture store and made our way in. Bella hooked her arm in mine as we entered and began to steer me around the place excitedly. "You're going to need a recliner to read your Sunday paper..." she told me as she tugged me toward a collection of comfy looking chairs. She released her hold on me to plonk herself down on a chair which she then reclined on after tugging at a lever on the side. "Look! Don't you just wish that you had one of these…" she laughed as she closed her eyes and feigned sleep.

I remained silent for a while as I watched her lying on the recliner, imagining myself sat on that very chair on a Sunday morning, or afternoon and her sat on my lap while we read the previously mentioned paper together. I walked to her side and kissed her cheek lightly before I whispered, "You've convinced me, we'll get one…"

She all but jumped from the chair in excitement before she began to prattle on about which colour I wanted and which particular chair I wanted. "Bella, just choose the one you like the best…" I grumbled after ten minutes of her weighing up the pro's and cons of each chair that she'd tried out.

"I…err…okay…that one…" she pointed out a black, heavily stuffed chair which looked extremely comfortable. I gave her a smile and a kiss on her alluring lips as thank you before I turned to head toward the sofas. "But Edward…" her worried voice halted my departure. I turned to her with a look of confusion before she continued, "That one's kind of expensive…the most expensive actually…" she finished the last bit in a mumble while she blushed slightly.

"I guessed that the most comfortable chair would be expensive Bella…but I don't really care about the cost, as long as it's comfortable and I'll get good use out of it, I honestly don't mind the price…" I reassured her while I mentally beat myself for the wording of my sentence. After saying the words 'get good use out of it,' my mind ran to a bed…and how the both of us would benefit how comfortable the bed would be and the use we would both get out of it.

"Ohhh…" she grinned up at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes as she rubbed her hands together like old villains did in the movies, "You asked for it Mr…watch me burn a hole in your pocket!" she smirked as she grabbed hold of my hand and walked with me to the sofas.

After much bouncing, squirming and contemplation, Bella chose the most comfortable and practical sofa in her opinion. She told me the practical benefit of her chosen sofa, "It's long enough for you to lie across without your feet dangling off the end uncomfortably…"

I thanked her for her good thinking while I wondered if Alice or Rosalie would have considered such a trivial fact. Would they have chosen such a comfy sofa or would they have opted for the more modern, square and uncomfortable furniture? I relaxed as we continued through the store, letting Bella make the decisions that I didn't have the vision to see and make.

Finally, after a few treacherous hours we made it to the beds. Earlier on in the day, my mind would have run ragged with ideas of what Bella and I could get up to on the beds, but by now, after hours of picking out certain coffee tables, lamps, bookcases, and the rest, I was exhausted and found the bed display a sanctuary.

"Euggghhhh" I groaned as I lay back onto a super king bed and closed my eyes while my tired feet relished at the newly found freedom.

"Edward! Do you like this one? It's a waterbed…" Bella's voice interrupted my plan of shutting down and having a small afternoon nap. "Do you like that one? Is that the one you want?" Her voice drew nearer. I cracked open an eye to see her stood right beside me, looking down at me questioningly.

I reached out and quickly pulled her down on top of me. Her screech must have drawn us some attention, but I didn't care. I shut my eyes and let Bella squirm until she got comfortable lying beside me. She began to ask me something, but I cut her off quickly, "Shhh! No…don't talk…just listen…" I muttered in my exhausted state.

After a few practically silent moments Bella's voice broke the silence. "I can't hear anything Edward…" she told me in a tone of voice which seemed to hint that she was questioning my sanity.

"I know…now hush…I'm going to sleep…" I grumbled once more as I scrunched my brow while I tried to ignore the background noise of the customers.

"You didn't sleep too well last night did you…" Bella's breath fanned my face as she spoke softly, telling me that she had her face particularly close to mine. As she spoke, she also traced the bags under my eyes which developed from my sleepless night last night. I shook my head, giving her my answer of 'no'. "Do you want us to go home?" she asked me and then added a quick kiss to my lips. I nodded my head 'yes' before she spoke once again. "Do you want to just get this bed and not bother with the rest?" she added another kiss to my lips as she had done before and I then gave her the same answer as I had for the previous question.

"Okay, come on then lover boy" she groaned as she pushed herself of the bed. My eyes snapped open at her words. I wondered if she knew that she was driving me wild with her tiny remarks that meant so much to me, like using the word 'lover' and asking me if I wanted _us_ to go home, as if my home was hers as well. I got off the bed and followed her after she gave me a stern call over her shoulder.

At the checkout, Bella handed the woman a list which I hadn't even realised that she'd been keeping. "And would you like those items delivered tomorrow?" the woman asked Bella.

Bella looked to me for the answer. I gave her a nod and then the woman behind the counter spoke once more. "Okay, make sure that you have someone at home, I'm not sure what time they'll arrive…" After sorting out the finer details, Bella and I were out of there and on our way home. During the drive home I held Bella's hand, wanting to feel her close to me, and I was thankfully rewarded with the unforeseen pleasure of her kissing my hand every so often.

Once back at the house Bella kindly ordered me to get some sleep while she headed back next door to see what she could do for dinner, seeing as it was already past four o'clock and there was nothing else left to do at my house.

**Rosalie POV.**

"So I'll get the write-up of what Bella told us at the club done…and then you can check it later sometime?" I asked Alice as we got out of my car, and headed to the house.

"Sure" Alice grinned at me while she swung her briefcase lazily in one of her hands.

Upon entering the house, I rolled my eyes. "Chocolate!" A familiar, sexy, deep, rugged voice called from the kitchen.

"Plain with jam and cream!" My darling brother's voice called out soon after, causing Alice to perk up. I almost laughed aloud at the sight of Alice turning her head quickly to the sound of Jasper's voice, as if he had called her name.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors!" I called, laughing; as I threw my briefcase to the ground beside Alice's and shrugged off my coat.

I made my way to the kitchen with Alice to find Bella baking cakes and Emmett and Jasper stood on either side of her glaring at each other. "Guys! I'll make one of each!" Bella, ever the peace-keeper compromised while chuckling at the two grown men bickering like children.

Emmett seemed to relax at Bella's words. "Okay…thanks Bells…" he called cheerily before he swooped down and kissed her cheek. I remained silent at the door, happy to watch my fiancé and brother fuss over Bella who deserved it; she had to put up with a lot of crap from those two's food demands.

"Rosie! Bella's baking a cake!" My man grinned at me as he strode toward me. Alice was already wrapped up in Jasper's arms while she talked to Bella.

"I heard…" I told him simply before he pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead softly. "Maybe Bella could bake our wedding cake?" I joked and then regretted it when I saw the flash of wonder and excitement flash in his eyes. "Emmett…I didn't mean it-"

My words were cut off by Emmett's as her turned to look at Bella, "Bella, you'll make our wedding cake right?" He asked, making it sound like baking a cake was easy as pie.

"Emmett…it's not that easy…" Bella began, talking to him as if he were a child, "You need icing, the right ingredients, it sometimes needs to be done weeks in advance as well…" she explained, still not ridding Emmett of his dream.

"What?" his face suddenly contorted into confusion. I sighed, relieved as I realised that he had probably just understood how much work went into making a wedding cake. "Why can't we just have a chocolate cake?" he stupidly asked, causing Jasper to burst out laughing while Alice shook with laughter against him.

While I explained to him why we couldn't have a chocolate cake for our wedding, Bella went to answer the front door after the bell cried in the hallway. She and Edward stepped into the kitchen a minute or so later, hand in hand.

"Edward my man…TV?" Emmett asked suddenly. I rolled my eyes as I realised that he was trying to find the fastest possible route out of having me lecture him. "See you in a bit Mrs McCarty" I melted at his words and he knew it. He leant down to kiss me quickly, a smirk on his face before he headed upstairs with Edward and Jasper.

"What's cooking good looking?" Alice asked Bella from her perch on the countertop beside the fridge.

"A beef dinner and seeing as the oven was on, I've baked some cakes" she answered indicating to the two sponges she had mixed and were ready to cook.

I slipped out of the room and got my laptop before sitting back down at the head of the dining table. Alice handed me a glass of red wine once I was settled which I thanked her for. I gave my fingers a quick clicking before I set to work.

_**Day 8. **_

_The morning of the 8__th__ day began rather soberly for our dearest Bella who admitted to us that she had found it hard to get a good night's sleep. After hopping in the shower and then getting out, the front doorbell rang. Bella, scantly covered in a bath towel, headed downstairs, thinking the worst. Wouldn't you? Having someone call at the house at an early hour in the morning?_

_You would have thought that opening the door to a sexy Edward would melt away her worries and she would be overjoyed, but no, she was annoyed that he had scared her. Leaving him on the doorstep (with a bunch of flowers in his hands we might add!! Where did he get those so early in the morning we wonder?) Bella retreated to the kitchen to make some coffee._

_Get those familiar fans out ladies, or remember, use the handy magazine as a fan! You have been warned yet again! Edward followed Bella into the kitchen and then pressed up against her, leaving her between him and the counter and he then started kissing along the back of her neck. After some teasing, they begin to kiss, getting hot and steamy! _

_Bella blushed furiously under the club's poor lighting as she admitted to us that she could feel, shall we say, the level of Edward's excitement…pressed against her?! Yes! He's a red blooded man! _

_Stopping their fun short, Edward asked to see Bella's room, apparently looking adorable as he did so. After some teasing, butt swaying, Bella led Edward to her room and left him to go change. Once she got back, she found Edward asleep on her bed and curled up with him. How adorable must the two of them had looked!!_

_A few hours later and they wake up. Edward, being Edward, offers to be fair to Bella and begins to lift up his shirt, showing more and more of his spectacular chest until a flustered Bella orders him to stop. Fair play to the man I say, for wanting to even the score seeing as he got to see Bella dressed in just a bath towel!_

_Once they get downstairs, Edward gives Bella her flowers and then Bella cooks them both breakfast. (She's subconsciously trying to get deeper into his heart via his stomach, we're telling you!!) Bella blushed once again as she told us that Edward told her after, how he came over early because he found that he couldn't sleep because his bed felt empty after the night before!! (Insert squeals!) How beautiful is that!_

_After breakfast, they head over to Edwards to get some work done, i.e. painting. After a call from Pixie Cupid, inviting the couple to our local club, Bella and Edward begin to frolic on the living room floor. While they get hot and heavy, the painters from up stairs interrupt! We can only imagine the brilliant red colour that Bella must have turned into at the interruption. Unfortunately, this put a damper on the mood and the couple parted, Bella heading over to Cupid's place to get ready for the night out!_

_Once we were all dressed up and Edward had arrived, Pixie Cupid and yours truly, Sexy Cupid entered our living room to find Edward and Bella looking very comfortable together. Edward has his arms around Bella's waist while Bella had her arms locked around Edward's neck while they chatted. We Cupids couldn't get over how natural they looked, or how much they resembled a picture postcard!_

_After wielding our power of persuasion at the club bouncer, we six headed in. Pixie Cupid and I cleverly managed to detour Bella with us to the bar where we managed to get her to spill her information between the three of us deterring eager barmen._

I paused at this point, knowing what happened next, but realising that it would most likely sound better coming from Bella's point of view as the rest had done. I needed to know how she felt, and what else had transpired between the two while I had been focused on Emmett.

Luckily Alice caught onto my train of thought after I asked Bella randomly if she enjoyed our night last night. Within a few minutes, Alice was helpfully prompting Bella, getting an abundance of information.

I continued on my article, trying my best to get it all in,

_After getting nicely drunk, Bella and Edward begin to kiss, getting more and more heated. We Cupids watched in awe at the sexiness as Edward pulled Bella onto his lap so that she was straddling him. Unfortunately my, Sexy Cupid's fiancé, decided to step into his big brother role and demanded that the sexy couple break it up. Bella blushed as she admitted that she forgot that we were even there when she got caught up in Edward and that she found his possessive, protective and caring manner touching._

_Upon leaving the club, we found that dearest Bella was slightly unsteady on her feet, thankfully gallant Edward was there to scoop her into his arms and carry her to the carriage…jeep…_

_Now then! Drama people! A confused Bella added at the end how she vaguely remembered the ride hope, but half wonders if it were a dream. All we can say is that we hope that it was reality and that Edward was sober enough to understand her and work out the lost word. Sorry, we are getting ahead of ourselves, let us explain! While in the jeep, Bella told us how she vaguely remembers whispering "I lo-" to Edward. The word we predict to be 'love' being cut off by a damned yawn. _

_We are highly eager to hear more, especially with the final day of the ten day trial looming ahead. We can only hope that the both of them will realise that they love each other by day 10, for our sakes but more and most importantly, for their sakes!_

"Dinner!" Alice called up to the guys, the very moment that I finished writing the article. I saved the document and set the laptop aside before we all delved into the beef dinner that Bella had prepared for us.

After dinner, we all headed upstairs to watch a DVD. We all lay with our respective couples and fell asleep where we were, to lazy to get up after the belly full of sleep inducing food.

_

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**I know, you've had to wait 4 days! But I'm working 13 days in a row, so my Tuesday off will be spent working like a psycho on my stories…don't know why I said psycho…ohh well.**

**_So here's my snippet of the upcoming story which has no name atm, but i'll sort that out sharpish,_ remember toREVIEW_ for me people!! Both for the chapter above and the snippet below!!_ **

_Charlie POV._

_I quickly got out of the cruiser once I'd parked beside the others and made my way over to see what the rest of my men were gawping at. "Charlie…you need to listen to me, she's okay…she's in good hands…Bella's a fighter…" one of my men told me as he came up to me, holding my shoulders in his strong hands. I wondered why the hell he mentioned Bella, why would I need reminding that she was a fighter? I knew that anyway…_

_Understanding dawned at me as I looked at each of the other officers who all looked back with me with pity and helplessness etched in their faces._

"_No…" I croaked, tears of panic, hurt, heartbreak falling from my eyes before I roughly shoved the man in front of me out of my way and ran around the corner of the ambulance to see the truth for myself. _


	13. Dun, Dun, Dun

_**Stephenie Meyer - A God? Apparently not…but she created the Twilight Universe.**_

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The chapter's song is…'Easy Lover' by Phil Collins and Philip Bailey.

**Okay, so I think I kind of mislead half of you with the snippet at the end of the last chapter. Half of you understood that the chapter was a snippet from my NEXT story, NOT from this chapter. Sorry for the confusion, I read over my wording after I started getting reviews, and it was vague…anyhow, hope that cleared it up…**

**Bella POV.**

The sound of sniggering in the background didn't do much for my peace of mind. I quickly thought back and remembered where I was, asleep on the living room floor at Rosalie and Jasper's. I opened my eyes and groaned at the sight of four smug faces looking down at me. As I took a deep breath to shout at them, I felt an odd pressure on my stomach. I looked down to find Edward asleep, using my stomach as I pillow.

I regrettably looked away from the god that was still asleep and glared at the four little devils. "What?" I snapped, knowing that I was vulnerable on the floor especially seeing as they had been up and about a while before, judging from the way they were all dressed and ready for work.

"Ohhh Edward…ohhh Edward!" Emmett laughed, causing Edward to shift a bit having undoubtedly heard the racket.

Thankfully Rosalie smacked the back of his head before she and Alice ushered Emmett and Jasper out of the living room and probably out of the house so they could get to work on time.

"Did I really say that?" I asked Alice and Rosalie tentatively while I softly slipped my hands into Edward's hair, careful not to wake him up.

They both answered me with a nod of their head before they declared that they were heading off to work. Alice stooped down to kiss my cheek before she skipped down stairs. Rosalie leant down next and kissed my cheek. Before she moved away she whispered, "I heard you say that you love him"

I froze at her words, my breath halting in my chest and my eyes growing wide. "I...what…did…the other night when I was drunk…" I rambled, throwing different train of thoughts into one sentence.

"Maybe you didn't dream it up, maybe you were going to tell him that you loved him…" she whispered back to me with a speculative and sincere look on her face. I could tell that Rosalie really cared and probably wanted me to figure this out otherwise she wouldn't have told me, she would have let me get on with working it all out on my own.

"What do I?" I whispered in a panic once I got my breath back. I looked from Rosalie to Edward and sighed as I got caught up and distracted in his beauty.

"Tell him…the longer you keep it bottled up, the more it'll eat away at you as you second guess everything." She told me simply, stating the facts. "I've got to go, I'll see you tonight, and don't forget to tell him!" she added in a slightly louder voice as she bustled down the stairs.

"Tell who what?" Edward's groggy voice broke the new silence after Rosalie had slammed the front door shut.

"I…err…I was supposed to remind you about the furniture delivery…" I lied, mentally smacking myself for having gone against Rosalie's advice at the first hurdle of nerves.

"Ohhh yeah…forgot about that, thanks…" he mumbled back before he yawned and pulled back a bit of my top to kiss my stomach.

He laid his head back down on my stomach and I continued to play with his hair while I thought over everything Rosalie had said and what I had unknowingly admitted in my sleep. I love Edward…I told myself, my heart racing in excitement at the fact, not idea, fact.

During the silent minutes that passed between us I wondered when would be the best time to tell him. Now, once he had woken up again, because I guessed that he'd fallen back asleep. Or tonight, over a candlelight dinner? I quickly discarded that thought, it was too cliché, I wanted something more spontaneous or random that I would remember. As Edward began to stir, once again, I settled myself by promising that I would tell him before the end of the day, no chickening out or excuses.

"Man…I fell asleep again!" Edward yawned as he hugged his arms around my waist, keeping himself pressed against me.

"Mmmm-hmmm" I answered, watching him as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, looking utterly adorable.

"I'm going to head home to shower, change, breakfast…" Edward sighed as he shuffled up so that he was lying on top of me, his arms on either side of me holding him up. "And then you can come over…?" He half stated, half asked with a cute look upon his face.

"Of course, wild horses couldn't keep me away!" I grinned up at him as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

He crashed his lips down onto mine, kissing me deeply, making my head spin from the passion. I moaned against his lips while he grinned smugly at my reaction to him having moved one of his legs between mine and rocking up against me.

My breaths became strained as he continued to rock against me while kissing up and down my neck. "Edward…furniture…" I whispered as I tried my best to cling onto the coherent thought in my mind. He needed to stop this now before I gave up and let him have his wicked way with me, which wouldn't be such a bad thing, but I felt like I wanted to let him know that I loved him before we could move onto the next stage which I was admittedly craving.

"Eughhhh" he groaned against my neck as he slumped back down against me, thankfully moving his leg from between mine. I could tell, and feel that he had been just as caught up in the moment as I had been and felt slightly guilty for having interrupted. "You know all the sexy things to say…" he joked as his laboured breath fanned across my neck. "Furniture…rarrrr" he laughed and I laughed along with him as he imitated some sort of lion or tiger.

"Sorry…" I whispered as I hugged him, hoping that he wasn't hiding any annoyance under his joking.

Edward suddenly moved back into the position that he was in before, but this time he held my face in my hands, giving me no other choice than to look into his eyes. "Don't be, never be sorry Bella…" he whispered reassuringly before he gave me a flying glimpse of his perfect smile before his lips met mine once again.

We kissed softly this time, lovingly. I didn't stutter in my movements or blush at the thought, I knew that I was kissing Edward with all that I had, trying my hardest to show him how much I loved him before I could muster up the courage to tell him.

**Edward POV.**

How could I not fall in love with this beauty when she kissed me like this!? I wondered as I relished in the feel of her lips, her face in my hands, her warm delectable body pressed under mine.

I regrettably broke away from her to nuzzle her neck. "I'll see you later" I grumbled against her neck before I kissed it and got off of her. A shiver involuntary ran through me from the coldness that hit me from being away from Bella's warmth.

"Later…" Bella whispered behind me as I walked away and down the stairs.

Once back at the house, I showered and changed before heading back down to get a bowl of cereal or some toast. As I deliberated on which to go for, I turned on the radio and cranked it up as The Fugees came on singing the classic 'Ready Or Not'. I decided for the cereal and sat down at the countertop, wishing the minutes away until Bella got back into my sights and arms.

Just as I finished my bowl of cereal, the voice I had been waiting to hear, for seven minutes and 34 seconds from my counting of the clock, reached my ears. I put my bowl in the sink and turned to find that Bella had let herself in and was stood in the kitchen door watching me. "I missed you" I admitted to her as I took three large strides to wrap my arms around her.

"Missed you too" she laughed against me, lightening the mood of this once lonely house instantly. The house became silent once again as I nuzzled Bella's neck, happy to just hold her. In the background, a song was playing from the radio, making my heartbeat pick up erratically as the words sunk into my mind.

_Easy lover  
She'll get a hold on you believe it  
Like no other  
Before you know it you'll be on your knees  
She's an easy lover  
She'll take your heart but you won't feel it  
She's like no other  
And I'm just trying to make you see_

_She's the kind of girl you dream of  
Dream of keeping hold of…_

The sound not to dissimilar to the sound of Bella's truck came from nearby. I guessed that it was the sound of the furniture delivery van. "Ohhh furniture!" Bella laughed as she sprung from my grasp and ran to the door. I followed her slowly, dismissing the song to the back of my mind as I watched her as she stood at the door, one hand on her hip, the other on the open door as she watched the van back up into the drive.

"Do you remember where everything's going?" I asked her once I reached her side.

"Sure I do…" she stated in a joking nervous voice.

I headed back into the living room to move some furniture to make more room, that's when I heard one of the furniture men talk to Bella. "Where do you want this Mrs Cullen?" I wouldn't help but grin at the fact that a mere stranger had conjured the idea that we were a married couple. I tried not to feel disappointed as I listened to Bella then telling him that we weren't married, like I knew she would.

The furniture came in droves, cramping the living room and my bedroom. Thankfully, the guest rooms were pretty empty, so any furniture that we couldn't fit in any other rooms, were thrust in there. Jacob turned up just as the delivery men were starting to take away my old un-need furniture thanks to the part-exchange deal I had.

"Hey there Auntie Bella, Uncle Edward…" Jacob greeted us over his shoulder as he was bent over, unbuckling Freya from her baby seat. I gave Bella's hand a squeeze at Jacob's words while Bella grinned up at me.

Bella and I watched as Jake cradled Freya in his arms and kicked the car door shut behind him. He got up the few steps to the porch before he made to go into the house. "Jake…do you think she should go in there? Paint fumes and all?" Bella asked, taking into consideration something that neither Jacob nor I had even thought about.

"Whoahhhh good call!" Jacob breathed a sigh of relief before he added, "Leah would have had me hung drawn and quartered if shed have found out!"

"Just looking out for my niece and my big bad wolf…" Bella laughed lightly as she lightly brushed her finger over Freya's plump rosy cheek.

"Here, take her" Jake told her as he held Freya out to her. I grinned at the way Bella seemed to glow with excitement at the mere prospect of holding her 'niece'. Once she had the little pink bundle in her arms she seemed to sober up and become entranced in the little baby.

"She'll do that to you…" Jake stated as he also watched Bella entranced with Freya. "Told her yet?" I wondered what Jake was getting at, why I would need to tell Bella that she looked captivated when she held Freya.

"Told her what?" I asked tentatively, guessing that he was thinking of something else.

"That you love her you plank!" he smacked me playfully right between the shoulder blades as he rolled his eyes.

I thanked whichever god that was looking down upon me at that moment as I realised that Bella had walked away from hearing distance and wouldn't have heard him. I watched silently as Bella pointed out flowers to Freya while I digested what Jake had just told me.

"Come on Edward…think about it…I can see it in your face, hers too…" he stated with such confidence that I began to feel that he was stating the truth and that I had nothing to worry about seeing as he'd just said that Bella loved me too. He slung his arm around my shoulder, baffling me slightly before he told me in a whisper, "I like you, you make Bella happy…but…if you hurt her…" I could feel the chance in pressure from the arm that he had around my shoulder, backing up his threat of sorts.

"I wont" I stated simply, glad that he had released me from his grasp at my words.

"Good man." Jake grinned as if nothing had happened, as if he had never switched into his protective role. "My work here is done…I should get baby girl back home for her feed…" he then told me, consulting his watch just to be sure.

"What? Did you come over here just to tell me that I love Bella?" I asked him with incredulity in my voice as I looked at him expectantly.

"Someone needed to knock your heads together." He told me with a sly grin before he added, "It may have only been ten days, but there's no going back for you two now" he barked a laugh, drawing Bella's attention. We both watched our girls as they came back to us. Bella handed Freya back to Jacob before she hugged close to me, resting her head against my chest.

"You should bring Leah with you sometime…I can finish showing Freya the flowers then" Bella told him before she blew a kiss at the sleeping bundle.

"And Rose can show her the engine of my car" I laughed at the vision that I could see clearly in my mind.

"Ohhh god and Alice with the shopping!" Jacob added in a horrified voice as he looked down to his baby girl. "No…never…you and Alice are a no no" he muttered in a serious tone, causing Bella and me to laugh at his expense.

He soon left as Freya began to get restless, leaving Bella and me to sort through the furniture which was swathed in plastic wrapping. Between us, we managed to get most of the furniture unwrapped by the time the delivery men declared that they were done and that all of the exchange furniture was now with them. We both thanked them before I closed the door after them.

"Come here!" Bella called from the living room. I walked in to find her sprawled over the new long sofa, her eyes glittering with excitement.

I joined her on the sofa, lying down beside her. She snuggled into my chest before her lips began to trail a hot path up my neck to my mouth. I hugged her closer to me as I kissed her back, letting the damn of passion break down and allowing the flood to come forth.

Her lips left mine to seek my ear where she began to nip. I groaned as I felt her moving a let between mine, imitating my moves from the morning. I clamped a hand to her butt as she rocked her leg against me, rousing my carnal desire for her even more.

I knew that she would push me over the edge if she carried on the way she was going now, so I quickly turned us over, so I was now lying on top of her. I stared down into her eyes, noting the lust and desire in them before she lifted her head up to kiss me. I got lost in her drugging kisses while my hands roamed as hers were doing.

My hands froze on her hips as I felt her hands brush at the front of my jeans. The silence between us was broken with the sound of Bella slowly inching the zipper down.

I stared into her eyes and saw the hesitancy in them. "Bella…we don't have to" I told her, knowing that I would need a cold shower fast if she didn't want to do this. I couldn't bear looking at her hesitant eyes, feeling guilty as I wondered if I had pushed her, taking this a little too far, but then I remembered that she was the one to start it.

I felt one of her hands tease at my aroused groin while her other hand clasped my jaw, making me look back up at her. I growled as I felt her hand tease me even more, pushing me to the brink of my control. "Edward…I want you…I love you" she whispered in a plea.

I froze at her words, letting my eyes bore into hers, looking for the evidence in her eyes to back up her words. The look of love was there to back her up and push away my insecurities.

"I love you too…you've been driving me crazy, especially since the night at Red Ribbon…" I told her between crashing my lips to her.

"You remember that?" she gasped while I rained kisses down her perfect throat.

"Hell yes, I haven't stopped thinking about it" I admitted before I brought my lips back up to hers. She willingly allowed my tongue to caress hers while her hands tugged at my shirt as I was doing to her. I groaned in relief, feeling like a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders now that we held no secrets.

**Rosalie POV.**

"Keith! Coffee o'clock!" I called out loudly, not bothering with the fiddly intercom thing that had been installed a few months ago. Why bother when you could shout?

"Coming up!" He answered, ever rising higher in my good books for not using the intercom either, opting to go anti technology with me and use our lungs.

I turned back to my computer, willing myself to get the article done about yesterday, while Alice worked on touching up the previous articles and changing their font and layout ready for the publishing of the article which was ever nearing.

I cracked my knuckles, receiving a protesting shriek from Alice who could never bear the sound. I chuckled to myself, loving the Alice's reaction, before I got back to work.

_**Day 9.**_

_On this day, day 9, dearest Bella heads over to the ever waiting Edward who meets her at the front door. After some pointless chit-chat about the night before they start making out…yes! On the porch, in the morning, anyone could see them! What would the more…mature shall we say? Neighbours say!_

_After getting pressed up against the wall and kissing, Bella finally pulls herself together and realises that her Edward is cold seeing as he's out without a jumper. After some more innuendo concerning hot water bottles this time, the couple head out for the day to find some furniture for the house….Without us Cupids, the style masters!! We're sure that Bella just had another momentary slip up in her mind after Edward dazzled her or something, and that's why we weren't invited to assist._

_Surprisingly, once the two of them get into the store, Edward trusts Bella's judgement completely and lets her practically pick out every item of furniture. We hope that tells you something! Think about it, maybe, consciously, or subconsciously, Edward let Bella choose the furnishings because he wanted the place to remind him of her, OR because he hoped that Bella would want to live with him at some point and that her choosing the furnishings would make it more of her home!! Who knows, who knows! She sure as hell spends enough time there; she might as well make it her own!_

_After scouring the store, Edward collapses onto a bed, exhausted. After pulling Bella down on top of him, in the middle of the store, with tens of people around, staff members around every corner…where was I…ohhh yeah, they head home._

_For the rest of the evening, we Cupids were fortunate enough to watch the couple interact with one another freely and what we saw was amazing! They both seemed to subconsciously move to accommodate the other, in other words, if Bella walked behind Edward, away from his vision, he would turn so that he would be able to see her if he wanted to. The same applied to Bella. It was as if an invisible magnet was placed on each of them, drawing them together._

_After a great night, the six of us settled down to watch a DVD. Bella and Edward lay on the floor together, all arms and legs as they lay tight together, Edward behind Bella with his face buried in her hair. The sight of the couple together looked perfect; I knew that having another person in either Edward or Bella's place would look wrong. The sudden epiphany shocked me, but I knew it was true, as true as the fact that day ten was coming up next!_

I glanced back down at my work and then to the side of my desk as something caught my eye. There sat a steaming mug of coffee. I hadn't even noticed that Keith had brought it in. "Thank you!" I shouted, before I heard him answer with a 'no probs'

"Hey Rosalie…do you think that Jasper would mind if I used 1/3 of our wedding budget on my dress?" Alice asked, breaking into my coffee appreciation moment. I cut a glance at Alice and found her staring dreamily at pages upon pages of dresses.

"I really don't know" I told her as I continued to drink my coffee. "Hey, shouldn't you be checking over the article?" I asked her as I realised that she was procrastinating.

"Done and done…" she stated simply before she clicked onto another high priced dress. "Ohhhh its so preeee-teee" Alice squealed as she pointed out a dress to me. I rolled my eyes at the childish tone of voice that she used. I knew that she was by now in too deep to be of any help to me with the article. I glanced at my watch and saw that it was nearly 4pm. I guessed that Bella would be done over at Edwards by now, or near enough, they only had a measly furniture delivery, so I grabbed the phone and called her.

"_Hello Rosalie Lillian Hale!"_ Bella's chirpy voice met me on the other end of the line. I looked back at Alice just to make sure that she hadn't somehow escaped and was now at the end of the phone faking Bella's voice. She wasn't, Alice was still there, google-ing her dresses.

"Bella…whatever that stranger gave you, they weren't candy" I told her simply, not knowing what else to say to the oddly chirpy Bella.

"_Ha-ha Rose!"_ Bella faked a laugh before she continued, thankfully sounding more sobered and more like herself, _"Just in case you worry tonight, I'll be over at Edward's, so you'll have to fend for yourselves on the food front…"_ she informed me while I heard the sound of a zipper in the background.

"Bella what are you doing over there?" I asked her, completely curious by now.

"_Getting an overnight bag ready, I'm staying with Edward, the man who loves me!!" _She all but screamed in my ear in excitement! I caught her infectious excitement and squealed like a teenager into the phone, demanding her for all the sordid details now.

I listened intently, my mouth agape while I typed notes of what she was telling me. "He did what with his tongue!?" I all but hollered down the phone, instantly noting to get Emmett to that to me tonight.

"_I have to go Rose, you've got all the dirt from me now…"_ she muttered in the phone before I heard her curse. I laughed, knowing that she had probably tripped or banged into something. _"Shut-up!"_ she called back, laughing along with me regardless.

"So I guess I wont be seeing you for a few days huhh?" I asked, knowing the answer before I had even finished asking her.

"_A few days…a week…psshhh, who knows?"_ Bella faked indifference before she laughed.

"I'm happy for you sweetie" I told her, grinning at the fact that Bella had someone now and that she was able to be herself around a guy, like I was with Emmett and Alice with Jasper. "I'm sure Alice is too, but she's looking at wedding dresses and all that…" I explained.

Bella sighed, and I could just imagine her rolling her eyes at the same time. _"Kay. Thanks Rose, I'll see you guys in a few, and please make sure that Emmett doesn't do anything, like threatening to break Edwards neck or hiring window cleaners when we're trying to…"_ her words trailed off, but I knew what she meant and what Emmett would do had he the chance.

"When you're trying to 'get to know each other'?" I supplied.

She thanked me or my interpretation before she added laughing, "I think Edward would call it, fulfilling his appetite!" I laughed along with her, remembering the times that she had told me that they had used that as analogy for something else entirely.

I hug up the phone once Bella had left, hearing Edward calling her name in the background. With the new torrent of information, I set about getting day 10 of the article done, excited and overwhelmed at the fact that our matchmaking had been a success.

_**Day 10.**_

_We Cupids and our other halves awoke to the sound of Bella on the ground, moaning Edwards name in her sleep. We guessed that whatever Edward was doing to her in her dream was the right thing; he seemed to be hitting the spot…if you catch our drift!_

_To save Bella from further embarrassment at the hands of our love's, we sent them out just before we heard Bella murmur the words we had been hoping to hear. "I love you Edward" We almost screamed in excitement, but obviously, we knew that we needed to get Bella to realise what she already subconsciously knew. _

_Upon waking, Bella was inevitably teased for her moaning, but I, Sexy Cupid, managed to sneak in some advice, telling Bella that I had heard her declaration and urging her to tell him what was in her heart. I know, that sounded as if I wanted her to tell Edward for mine and Pixie Cupids benefit with the article, but it wasn't. In the foremost, I wanted Bella to tell Edward for her own benefit. To be happy, to have the truth out in the open and to be blessed with the same words coming from Edwards lips which I was sure of, along with Alice who would have bet on it…and you NEVER bet against Alice!_

_Pixie Cupid and I soon left, leaving Bella awake and pondering while Edward slept with his head on Bella's stomach which acted as his pillow. Once Edward had woken up and after some passionate, distracting kisses and then some, they separated to get showered, changed and have some breakfast. Once that was all done, Bella headed to Edwards house, ready for the delivery._

_During the day, Edward and Bella sorted out the delivery of furniture, and then Jacob and the adorable Freya turned up. Bella told me how she took Freya on a walk around the garden while Jacob seemed to pull out his 'big brother' card and talked to Edward. She could tell by the intense, yet joking manner that they both held that something was up. When she returned to the guys, she found them both oddly at ease, as if something had been cleared up or verified._

_Once Jake and Freya were gone, Bella told me how they both stripped the packaging off the furniture until the furniture men left. Once they had gone, she headed for the new, long monstrosity of a sofa and bade Edward to come to her…how could he resist?! Ha-ha!_

_Well…from here, one thing lead to another and passionate kisses were thrown between them until Bella; the little blighter came out and told Edward that she loved him. Thankfully, you can all breathe a sigh of relief; Edward told her that he loved her as well. Get ready to swoon ladies, because Bella then informed me that she and Edward went on to…christen the new sofa and when I last spoke to her, they were planning the same fate for Edward's new bed. _

_Mission accomplished dear readers._

_From this article, we have learnt a lot, and we hope you have too! Reach out people and Love Thy Neighbour! (Especially if he is a 6ft something god with a sexy car like the Vanquish!) Open your arms, embrace your neighbour! Maybe not too much though, until you get to know them better…we wouldn't want you to get a restraining order or have you turn into stalkers!_

_We hope that this article shows that love can bloom in the most random places and situations, and with two Cupids handy, anything could happen!_

I finished up the article before I ordered Alice to read through it. I knew the moment when she had finished reading because she slowly raised her head from the screen, a massive grin still in place as she locked her gaze on me. I could see the excitement in her eyes along with more positive emotions.

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Before you start-No Lemons because its a T rated story!

I know that this isn't really the best ending, but, I want to get going on my new story and the whole point of this story was to see if they could fall in love in 10 days, they did…so there…I also cant think of a way to get some good closure so lets just end with,

**'And They All Lived Happily Ever After'**

**REVIEW FOR ME, go ahead it's the last chapter, go wild! :D**


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